Spies and Conspiracies
by R2-D2106
Summary: After the events of TFA, a new group of fighters arrive at the Resistance base. As the First Order regroups, Luke Skywalker finds out about a conspiracy dating back to the days of the Old Republic. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren races to find out just what this means for the future of the Knights of Ren
1. Chapter 1

**Hey-it's been a long while since I've written well...anything. After seeing The Force Awakens with my future brother-in-law, my mind was peaked and I was prompted to act on an idea I had been tossing around for a while. Reader response will determine if this continues or not, so like, favorite, follow or review please!**

Dramatis Personae

The Resistance

Admiral Akbar (Mon Calamari male from Mon Calamari)

Supreme Commander Mon Mothma (human female from Chaldira)

General Leia Organa (human female from Alderaan)

(Jedi Master Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, human male from Stewjon)

(Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, human male from Tatooine)

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (human male from Tatooine)

Poe Dameron (human male from Yavin 4)

Finn (human male from unknown)

R2-D2, Luke's astromech droid

BB-8, Poe's astromech droid

C-3PO, Leia's protocol droid

Crew of the _Millennium Falcon_

(Han Solo, human male from Corellia)

Rey (human female from Jakku)

Chewbacca (Wookie male from Kashyyk)

Members of the Survivors

(Ferrus Olan, human male from Coruscant)

(Bant, Mon Calamari female from Mon Calamari)

(Arya Teslus-Olan, human female from Alderaan)

(Eponine Olan, human female from Alderaan)

Minneko Olan (human female from Illum)

Masako Olan (human female from Illum)

Kister Thorne (human male from Illum)

The First Order

Supreme Commander Snoke

Ben "Kylo Ren" Solo (human male from unknown)

General Hux (human male from unknown)

Captain Phasma (human female from unknown)

()-Dead before the beginning of our story

Then:

She panted as she raced across the plain. The sky was bright and there was no fear of a sudden downfall today. "C'mon Aldera," the beagle bounded alongside her, keeping up. Her hair was loose. In a few years, it would be braided into the style of her people.

They had originated in an area of Alderaan called Syberea. Their clans were known for being able to tolerate the harsh, constant winter weather that dominated the planet's northern poles. Several had branched out in the later years of the Old Republic, aiding the Jedi in covert operations. Six hundred and sixty-five members had made the first group to be sworn into the top-secret intelligence unit that had been sanctioned by the Jedi Council. Her grandfather, a Jedi of the old order, had found sanctuary with her grandmother's people during the purges. There, he had fallen in with the oldest clan, the Dragon clan. Eventually, he had married her grandmother, and in time had children of his own. Those children were now dead, slain by the Empire, hunted down by Darth Vader, though, according to tradition, they were no Jedi.

They had formed their own secret signs to identify each other as fellow hidden Force Sensitives. For years they traveled though known regions, settling in scattered areas. Some found it easier to live as nomads, smugglers for hire, and ship captains. They blended in with the brash Correllians to the point most had simply adopted the planet as their home.

Excursions such as the one she was now on were rare. The lush forests of Naboo were all that she was going to see of green for a long time. Her grandfather, old and rapidly becoming sentimental, was relocating a group of twenty, including her and her sister, to Illum, where Jedi Initiates and Padawans had for generations harvested crystals for their lightsabers.

Another survivor of her grandmother's rescue, Bant, an aged healer and well respected amongst the group as the best healer, had asked that she spend her remaining days surrounded by the history of the forgotten order.

A select group of children-herself included-were to be trained as Jedi. Ferrus Olan had scoffed at the idea of Luke Skywalker starting his own order, saying that he would "rather see his grandchildren dead than under a Skywalker's tutelage." To this end, they were bound for Illum, where snow was as deep and constant at it had been in Syberea until the Death Star decimated the planet. This was her final farewell to the sun, for she did not know when-or even if-she would see it again.

Now:

"This is Captain Minneko Olan of the _Syberea_ requesting permission to land."

"Ahoy, _Syberea_ , what is your objective?"

"Supplies and personnel to serve in the Resistance. Authorization code Aurbek-Three-Nine-Zero-One."

"Authorization confirmed. _Syberea_ maintain present heading. Land in zone 1A."

"Acknowledged, Control. _Syberea_ out."

Minneko Olan relaxed as the landing cycle began. "Welcome to D'Qar," she muttered into the headset, knowing that her co-pilot would have something to say about it.

"At least it's sunny here." Kister Thorne said as the landing cycle started. D'Qar was very different from the environment that they had grown up in. Illum was cold, and the old Jedi Temple provided only minimum shelter from the elements. Over the years, a structure had sprung up, nicknamed the HAB after the support centers that had predated the dawn of civilization on most planets. The HAB however was more of a permanent residence for the members of the Survivors.

Originally a part of a complex spy ring that saw its heyday during the Clone Wars, the Survivors had allied themselves with the Jedi during their early years as skilled hackers from the depths of an even colder region of Alderaan known as Syberea. In the cold, the race for survival meant everything. The cold-weather gear needed to survive the frozen plains was repugnant to most who lived on the planet, who preferred instead to ignore the section as though it didn't exist.

However, in the Clone Wars, the need for slicers and counterintelligence had opened up a job market to a group who felt it was time to leave their self-imposed exile and rejoin galactic society at large. The "Windtalkers" unique speech and its inability to be transcribed as writing had enabled the Old Republic to gain a tactical advantage over the Separatist forces that largely relied on droids for such things.

During training, the Jedi discovered that a large percentage of the group had Force Sensitivity. Knowing the growing threat of the Sith, the group was trained to resist the call of the Dark Side of the Force. It was through this training that Arya Tesles was able to sense the start of the Purges that marked the beginning of the Empire. Moving quickly, she rallied a group to save as many Jedi as possible from the clone troopers that had turned against them.

A small group led by Jedi Knight Ferrus Olan and Arya Tesles had eventually made their way back to Syberea. Their respite was only temporary, knowing that the Empire would not rest until the last Jedi were exterminated. Having waited until they could be sure that they would be safe, the group made a new refuge on Illum, at the site of the Jedi Temple there, safeguarding the caves of crystals from which the Jedi had harvested for their lightsabers for generations.

They had established a working base, knowing that their safety would only be assured at the defeat of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic. Tacitly, small groups left Illum to gauge the tide of the war and aid the Rebel Alliance through any means possible.

Through all this, Ferrus Olan had learned to live outside all he had known. His second in command, Arya had eventually persuaded him to see things from a different point of view, and with a consultation of a council of carefully selected members, had revised and amended many rules of the Old Jedi Order.

So the Survivors had flourished, safeguarding the planet until they could be assured of the Jedi's return to the galaxy. It was shortly after the establishment of the First Order that Ferrus Olan had put together a command squadron to make contact with Luke Skywalker, and officially hand over control of the Survivors and what records of the Jedi Archives they had saved. Sadly, after seeing them off, Ferrus, sensing his time was close went to bed one night and did not wake the next morning.

It was thus that Minneko had cut her hair short and both she and Kister wore white armbands. By all rights, Minneko, as her grandfather's oldest living relative should have led the rites-a blend of Syberean and Jedi-but she had a mission to see through.

"Would I sound like a geek if I said that this is probably every dream I've had since I was a kid?" Kister asked as they walked down the gangplank into the sunlight.

"Sun, wind that doesn't freeze your skin off, and _green_? I don't think so." Minneko paused at the bottom of the ramp. "Look at this," She bent down and touched the soft earth with her hand. "No ice."

"And look," Kister picked up an acorn from the ground. "Not flash-frozen or raised in the biosphere."

"Race you up a tree?" Minneko asked, not bothering to wait for a response as she began climbing the nearest one.

"Not fair!" With a laugh, Kister followed.

Across the landing pad, Finn watched the two. He was certain one was male, despite the fact that he was wearing what appeared to be a skirt. He was sure there was a proper name for the garment, but he couldn't recall it right now.

"Who are they?" Poe Dameron came up next to Finn with BB-8 trailing along as he tootled to his fellow BB and R2 units.

"Dunno," Finn replied. "But look at them." Poe looked at the two-who were now throwing acorns at each other-and grinned. "Well, they're free spirits, for sure."

BB-8 rolled up alongside his master, tootling happily. "What d'you think, BB?" BB chirped and tootled, his round body swiveling excitedly.

"Yes, I think you're safe," No sooner had Poe said it before BB rolled to the base of one of the trees. BB gave the tree an electric shock and the pair heard an "Ouch," some muffled cursing and two figures dropped from the tree. " _Heya_ ," the girl said, putting her hand on BB's top dome affectionately. "What're you doing here, fella?"

BB chirped, rolling toward Finn and Poe. The pair followed and Finn got his first good look at the two. The girl and boy were dressed almost identically in blue and green-checkered cloth that wrapped around their waists and across their chests. He could tell that this was everyday wear-the ease with which they moved told him that they were used to this kind of gear. Both wore short-sleeved shirts underneath, partially for modesty, but Finn could tell from stormtrooper training that it would retain heat in cold environments. A white armband encircled their upper arm on the left and they had metal cylinders-lightsabers, possibly- attached to their calves in a manner he'd only seen smugglers do with their blasters.

" _Heya,"_ the girl said, taking charge. " _Comment allez-vous_?"

Poe shook his head. "Basic." The girl grinned. "Fine. I'm Minneko and this is Kister. We're here to speak with Master Skywalker."

"What about?" Finn asked, interest piqued.

"Something that could change the outcome of this war." The boy said.

 **We'll see how the Resistance commanders react in the next chapter, until then-**

 **May the Force be with you!**

 **R2-D2106**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all those who have joined in and most importantly thanks to all who have already reviewed and favorite-d!**

 **Chapter 2 deals with Minneko's past and how the Survivors survived. We see Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker for the first time. For all you Rey fans-don't worry she's coming up in Chapter 3!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. Disney, and the great George Lucas do. I make no profit, only goofy squeals when I see the reviews in my inbox.**

Chapter 2

D'Qar

If it had been any other person, Minneko supposed that they would probably be a bit unnerved by the group sitting opposite.

Of course, Minneko had stared down her grandfather more than once, but that was beside the point. Those times, Minneko had understood who she was up against, knowing that at the first sign of argument Bant would chime in with some story or other about her grandfather and what he had gotten up to, thereby deflecting his attention and allowing her to make her escape as her grandfather sputtered.

Of course, it had helped that each knew the other's weak points, and knew that to attack those points would only result in familial anarchy the likes of which Bant would flay the both of them alive, Dark Side be damned.

So as Minneko fingered her thumb drive as they waited for the meeting to be called to order, she wondered why her grandfather had entrusted the mission to her in the first place.

A chime sounded and everyone took a seat. Kister straightened up beside her and Minneko wondered again, why.

"You have information for us?" Mon Mothma eyed the pair with a critical eye. Minneko supposed that yes, wearing their pins at the shoulder was a mistake, but old habits were not easily broken. As it was, the dragon was hardly a bad omen. In the Alderaanian zodiac, the Dragon had been the most powerful sign. The weakest, most easily influenced was the Sheep a farm animal good for wool, milk, and once it outlived every other use that the farmers needed it for-meat. The flock that was housed in the HAB's biosphere was twenty strong and relatively simple-minded, easily startled and

But she digressed as Kister, unused to these situations shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Okay, she was a little unnerved as well. It was _Luke Skywalker_ , for Force's sake. Just because her granddad didn't like his dad didn't mean that stories-rumor and fact, and sometimes a mix of both-circulated the HAB with lightening speed.

"This has a list of something that could help the Resistance." Minneko put the drive on the table between the two groups. "Granddad told me to deliver it.

"And who exactly, is your grandfather?"

"Ferrus Olan." Minneko said, looking at Luke Skywalker. "He was a Jedi, in the Old Republic."

"Ferrus Olan was killed during the Purges." Admiral Akbar interrupted. "How is it possible?"

"You worked with the Ruse Spy Ring?" Minneko asked and the Mon Cal nodded. "That's how. They faked the records and joined up with the Dragon Clan in Syberea."

"After things went quiet, a group left Syberea and settled on Illum. We've been there ever since." Kister added.

"So you've been hiding on Illum all this time." Mon Mothma said. "That's why we never found any survivors."

"Well, some went to Corellia, some went to the Outer Rim. Most of us stayed together and decided to not let the Sith pollute the last Jedi Sanctuary in the galaxy." Minneko knew how those words sounded to outsiders. Many of the smugglers-former Sybereans shook their heads at the supposed folly of their life. She supposed that they had some sense defending the last Jedi stronghold was an easy way to get a target painted on your back.

But they still continued shipments in exchange for the high-quality ore that they extracted.

"Which clans survived?" Admiral Akbar, having dealt with Sybereans before knew how much stock they put in with their clans. "Dragon, Tiger, Boar, and there's a family of Dogs and Rabbits that we're trading partners with on Malastare." Akbar nodded, knowing that the Sheep, Ox, Rat, and Horse clans had more than likely perished. "Granddad married into the Dragons-the Teslus family, and Kister's a Boar."

The Dragon and Tiger clans-impulsive and always game for fighting fortune and fate alike had been the first to joining the Ruse Spy Ring. Calculating Rats and nervous Rabbits were among the fewest who had joined the spy ring. Most of the clan leaders had pulled them out just before then-Chancellor Palpatine had been "kidnapped" by Separatist General Grievous.

"Why show yourselves now?" Mon Mothma asked, voicing the question that everyone-at least on the Resistance side was thinking. "Granddad said that he wasn't going to let the galaxy tear itself apart any more in his lifetime and wanted to do something to stop it. Basically he got wind of what Snoke set out to do and wanted to end it."

"You mean Starkiller." Minneko nodded. "And just after we set off, Granddad died." She shrugged at the sympathetic looks. "It was a long time coming. First he hears what Kylo Ren did, Bant passed, and then he got wind of Starkiller. I honestly think that he couldn't take any more heartbreak."

"How did she die?" Minneko and Kister exchanged glances. Bant and Akbar had worked together during the Clone Wars, but for them to have been that close?

"Old age." Kister replied. "Went to sleep one night after saying she was tired, and never woke up. _Heda_ wouldn't speak to anyone for days. We did an autopsy and it seemed that she'd gotten pneumonia. I don't think she wanted to make much of a fuss. We were busy getting everything in order to transfer control."

"And what we're here to do is officially hand over control of Illum to Master Skywalker." Minneko pushed the thumb drive toward him. "On that you'll find names, records, and some of the old order's archives."

"Right now, there are over a hundred of us trained to use the Force." Kister said. "And all of us are ready to fight."

-PAGEBREAK-

Kylo Ren stared out the viewpoint, seething. Starkiller base had been destroyed, and with it the First Order's greatest weapon. Snoke had been furious and Ren hadn't been spared the Supreme Leader's wrath. In his hand he fingered a medallion. It was smooth with age; slightly tarnished, etched in a language he didn't understand-had no hope of understanding. It didn't matter. What mattered was what it represented.

In searching for the Resistance, a scout team had found a long-abandoned structure filled with such medallions. Whoever had occupied it had clearly left in a hurry and in their haste, had dropped this coin.

On the obverse, it showed a Dragon, clutching a lightsaber in its talons. The detail with which it had been cast was loving, as though the carver wanted it preserved for the ages. The reverse featured a damnable replication of the symbol of the Galactic Republic.

The Jedi, wherever they were hiding, would pay. They would pay the ultimate price. He would relish cutting them down, one by one. He could hear the screams; taste their fear as he and his men rushed into their sanctuary.

Luke Skywalker thought he was so smart, he thought cynically, staring into the blackness of space.

He would save Skywalker for last, make him watch once again as he destroyed the Jedi.

One more time.

 **Honestly, Ben Solo seems to me to just be a moody teenager with angst issues. Some therapy would do him good. If he were really** _ **that**_ **bad, then he would have had no problem keeping his mask on the whole movie. The fact that he removed it-frequently-and that Hux (one of his subordinates) saw his face shows to me that he's just gone slightly emo and needs someone to knock his head and set him straight. That's my operating theory, anyway.**

 **If you check out the previous chapter-I recently came across official material that states that Poe Dameron is from Yavin 4 and updated that little tidbit.**

 **May the Force be with you!**

 **Sparky**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, happy mid-January. I was deeply saddened to hear recently of the death of Alan Rickman. He was a fine actor. I especially liked his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series and his other works were also very good.**

 **On that note, I'm very much happy decided to right itself after some trouble this morning, so I could post this before heading off to work.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

D'Qar

Pilots, by nature were drawn by curiosity. Poe could admit this to himself as he walked toward his X-wing, BB-8 in tow. It was curiosity about flight, the thrill of being airborne and the rush of adrenaline that had motivated him into becoming a pilot.

Just how morbid that curiosity was, was questionable. A group had gathered around a grassy knoll by the time he had finished breakfast and thought to check on his X-wing, what was happening, and Finn.

But in no particular order. In fact, Finn had been heading towards the mess hall as Poe had been leaving. BB-8, reluctant to leave his side ever since his capture by the First Order, had taken to following him everywhere. It wasn't until Poe had pointed out the potential of his motor overheating as he showered as a potential problem for the droid that BB-8 had decided that his secondary caregiver would be Finn.

What went on in that droid's head, Poe did _not_ want to know. In fact, he sort of blamed BB's interaction with R2-D2 for that.

"What's going on here?" He figured he'd bite the bullet and get on with it. "Those two are training." Finn replied. "But they're not using lightsabers."

"So what are they using? Hand to hand?" Poe thought hand to hand combat in general was fairly good sport. Hand to hand combat between two Jedi would make for an interesting sight.

"Sticks," Finn replied. "They've been at it since dawn."

Dawn had been three hours ago. Poe thought this was impressive, considering most beings needed to eat within an hour of waking up or losing all potential usefulness in the basic function of staying awake.

Poe and Finn pushed their way through the crowd, who upon recognizing BB-8, gladly parted for the two heroes. The girl was blindfolded, yet moved her stick with astonishing speed. The boy however, had taken the role of instructor, most likely, given that he was constantly barraging her with talk of watching her strike and other things in a mix of Basic and the language Poe couldn't understand.

As he watched, the girl paused, reaching out. The look of calm belied the tension that he saw in her muscles. The crowd was distracting, Poe knew. So she had to rely on the Force, rather than her hearing to find her opponent.

He was waiting at the opposite end, waiting. Each waited for the other to make the next move.

In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the expanse of the circle and the boy was forced to dodge. The counterattack was swift. As Poe watched, they matched each other, blow for blow, drawing on the Force for strength.

"They're good." Finn said, watching as they kept at it. "They've been trained."

"Why do you say that?" Despite being a hero of the Resistance and Commander of Black Squadron, Poe had not been privy to the meeting held a day prior. All he knew was that the brass including the recently returned Luke Skywalker-had sequestered themselves in a room with the two.

"Look at their stances," Finn pointed as the girl assumed a pose with her feet positioned with one slightly in front of the other. "That's too practiced. If you look at where she's holding her weight, you can tell she's done this before. She keeps on the ball of her foot to push off and move quickly. Anyone new to this, like Rey, would instinctively keep their center of gravity on their whole foot and be fumbling around."

"So they've been trained," Poe said. "But Kylo Ren destroyed the Jedi. Who trained them?" At this BB-8 beeped and chirped excitedly, his circular body moving erratically. "What's up, little guy?" Poe asked, looking at him.

"Have you heard?" Poe turned his attention from BB-8 to the young woman standing next to him. "Heard what?"

"That Luke Skywalker wasn't the last Jedi." Rey joined the two watching the sparring. "There's been a group hiding on Illum since the end of the Old Republic."

"Illum's out of the way and cold," Finn said. "Somehow that's not surprising."

"How cold?" Poe asked as the girl managed to land a blow. The boy barely flinched before once again going on the offensive. "Cold enough that you'd freeze before you even got out of your ship if you're not geared up."

At that point, the two individuals stopped their spar. They faced each other and held the sticks in a salute and bowed.

The crowd, while disappointed, clapped. The cheers grew louder as the pair faced each side of the circle in turn and bowed again and again.

The pair left, the pins on their shoulders gleaming in the sunlight as they made their way toward their ship, chatting in a language none of the three could understand.

"What do you think?" Finn asked Rey as the trio watched the pair disappear.

"I think that they can help us." She replied. At that, the trio turned back toward the Resistance base and mentally prepared to face the day.

-PAGEBREAK-

The Force was mocking him. Troopers scrambled out of his way as he strode toward the command center.

He was not sure when it had started, but he was certain that even if he had to murder everyone in his path, it would stop.

Kylo Ren fumed, as the Force flowed, light, lilting, and _laughing_. Even when he had been a Jedi, the Force had never dared mock him.

The medallion was what had started this. From the moment Snoke had told him what he held, the Force had been nothing but mocking him.

The medallion had belonged to an Old Republic society, the Ruse Spy Ring. The Force Sensitive Sybereans of Alderaan had been recruited to provide more manpower during the Clone Wars. Pockets of their descendants still polluted the galaxy as smugglers, traders, and other ill-begotten beings.

The Jedi had formed camaraderie with them. The spies had been unofficially adopted into the Order and given training. In respect of this, they wore their lightsabers strapped to their calves, rather than attached to their belts. One particular Syberean had been a thorn in Palaptine's side.

Highly intelligent and keenly observant, Arya Tesles had deduced many things about the emperor. Things that the emperor would have rather stayed hidden. She had been a favorite of the Jedi, who pulled her out of situations that would have gotten other beings sent to Kessel.

Despite Palaptine's many attempts to put an end to her, Tesles had escaped time and time again. Then, at the Purges, vanished completely. Needless to say, she was problem no more; it was assumed that she had been killed along with many other Jedi. If not then, certainly she would have been on Alderaan when it was destroyed.

Either way, the medallion belied this. Tesles had survived. Which meant others had survived, for she had sent a single message to the emperor before vanishing from the galaxy.

And the medallion meant something, too.

Tesles had survived. And he would see her dead if she was not. Despite claiming to be a pacifist, Tesles wanted a war.

And she would have one.

 **Again, I'm of the opinion that Ben Solo needs a swift kick in the ass to right himself. He gets epic bad dude points for killing his dad, but really, he doesn't scream "evil." He really screams "parental issues" and "emo." Of course, we'll have to wait until Episode 8 to find out more, but did ya'll hear about the X-wing movie coming out later this year? I'm psyched. I hope you are too.**

 **Until next week-may the Force be with you.**

 **Sparky**


	4. Chapter 4

**So after this chapter, I'm wavering on what direction to take the story. I have multiple possibilities drawn up, and would like to hear from you on what you want.**

 **Just be warned, this is mostly a filler chapter-the real action begins next chapter. Like I said, there are a few possibilities to what can happen.**

Chapter 4

The HAB, Illum

Masako Olan felt that she could divide the universe into two types of beings. There were those that waited for things to happen and then there were those that made things happen. Masako thought that she fell into the category of the latter. While Minneko thought things through and prepared for any number of possibilities-something that made her a good strategist-Masako preferred to be out in the open and making things happen and making up a strategy as she went.

It was why she kept checking her terminal several times in an hour. She waited for anything-news of Minneko and Kister's safe landing at the Resistance base, news of Luke Skywalker, news of what Kylo Ren might be up to.

In the meantime, she took a leaf out of her sister's book and researched. Kylo Ren and Supreme Commander Snoke were the biggest targets in destroying the First Order. Her grandfather had drilled into the twins the importance of knowing: who the enemy was, their motivations, their strategies, but most of all, what made them tick.

Find a weak spot, exploit it, and while your enemy is reeling, strike. Her grandfather had done that multiple times when he ad sparred Anakin Skywalker when they were both Padawans on Coruscant. Skywalker relied on power, relished the fight, and left no opening for the enemy to defend himself. Ferrus Olan had found a weak spot in this. In his pursuit, Skywalker left open multiple holes in his defense, his single-minded thought of victory, it left him without much of a coherent strategy.

With his grandson, Masako could see multiple weak spots, most of them mental. If you lost your focus in a duel, even for a second, your enemy would break through your defense and you would die. "Kylo Ren," born Ben Solo had multiple weak spots: his family, his idolization of Darth Vader, and his single-minded quest to purge the Light from him permanently.

Masako could exploit this wonderfully if given a chance, though she didn't fancy facing Solo in single combat.

Besides, Minneko was the better negotiator. Masako often followed her grandmother's example of asking forgiveness rather than permission, something that had resulted in her being a familiar face on KP duty.

The chime snapped Masako out of her reverie. Finally-a connection.

The message was typical of Minneko: short and to the point:

Sako-

Arrived safely. Made contact. Will begin return in two days with Skywalker & co.

Weather here is drastically different. Hope you're well.

May the Force be with you-

M.O.

Masako immediately began typing a reply, knowing that Minneko would use those two days to work out the thousands of logistics that probably even General Organa hadn't even thought of and resupply. She supposed that members of the Resistance would accompany the two to verify their claims. Whether or not the ship Granddad had supplied Kister and Minneko with would be sufficient. The outdated vessel had been experimental, something that had been tinkered with time and time again.

If nothing else, it could be converted into a storage facility for patrols guarding the HAB's perimeter. By necessity, the Survivors were resourceful, stripping down to the bare essentials. Oh, clan politics still sparked spats now and again, and the clans toted out their colors on special occasions; in fact, many still wore the traditional kilts on a daily basis, only swapping out into civilian wear when necessary.

Masako and Minneko flipped between styles as the mood struck them. Identical down to the last hair follicle, the pair enjoyed confusing residents of the HAB when they were younger. The only two who could defectively tell the difference-through their Force signatures-were Bant and Granddad. When the pair had learned to meld their presence into a single being, Granddad had said he understood why _he_ had never had twins.

The pair moved in sync-able to dispatch gorgodons with quick efficiency with their lightsabers, making them an efficient team on patrols in guarding the Jedi Temple. Their styles in single combat were remarkably different. Masako usually employed Vapaad, developed by Jedi Master Mace Windu as the seventh form of standardized lightsaber combat. Minneko favored Makashi, which was unusual as the Syberean dances largely relied on the sharp accent of striking the heel or ball of the foot on the floor.

Sending the message, Masako figured she could call it a night. Whatever else sat at her desk wasn't as important as ensuring the transfer went smoothly.

-PAGEBREAK-

D'Qar

It was night and most of the base was asleep. Rey found she couldn't and not wanting to disturb Chewbacca, had found herself sitting outside the _Falcon._ She still wanted to return to Jakku, though she knew she stood a greater chance finding her family while with the Resistance. It didn't make her feel any better, though she supposed it was better than scavenging. Here she wasn't scrounging parts for the next half-portion.

She looked across the landing bay. The ship that the pair form Illum had arrived still had a light on. Standing, Rey fingered her blaster. She supposed as a Jedi, she would reach for her lightsaber first, but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Hello?" She called. No one responded so she went up the boarding ramp. "Is anyone here?"

"Yeah-hang on!" A voice replied sounding somewhere above her. She jumped, hearing something hit the deck behind her. " _Heya._ You must be Rey."

The girl was wearing a tan jumpsuit now, compared to what Rey had seen her wearing before. "I'm Minneko," the girl said, extending her hand. Rey shook it. "Your ship, it's the _Millennium Falcon?_ "

"Yes," Rey said, no longer surprised people knew more about her ship than she did. The girl grinned. "Cool, we've only heard stories about it. Mind giving us a tour sometime?"

"Us?" Then she realized the girl's companion wasn't with her. "Kister wants to see it more than me. I'm more of a historian, Kister would probably ask you if he can take it apart." She explained, leading Rey to the galley. "He also sleeps like the dead. It's my turn to watch for any incoming messages from home, so I figured I'd check on the fuel lines. They gave us a bit of trouble during take off last time. Tea?"

"Sure." Rey took a seat at the small table situated in the middle as Minneko busied herself with a kettle. "Where are you from?"

Minneko shrugged. "Illum. It snows nine months out of the year and hails the other three. You?"

"Jakku." Minneko put two old, cracked mugs on the table along with a plate of cookies. "Desert planet. Don't know how I'd survive. As it is, I'm sweating just standing here."

"Jakku's night cycle is cold." Rey remembered all to well one time where she'd been stuck walking home after dark. It was not an experience worth repeating.

"Yeah, but Illum's more of a freeze the spit in your mouth kind of cold. Colder than where the families came from."

"Where's that?" Minneko sat down across from Rey. "Alderaan. More specifically the northern hemisphere-Syberea. There it hailed and snowed at the same time. Illum is an improvement when you think about that."

"It sounds like it. How did they survive the Death Star?"

Minneko wrapped her hands around her mug. "Bunch worked for the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Pissed off the Emperor one time too many. Scattered to avoid complete annihilation. Most of those who survived had been trained by the Jedi. Hell, my granddad was a Jedi. Eventually decided not to let the Empire blaspheme the crystal caves and made Illum home."

"So why break that secrecy now?" Rey liked the slightly sweet taste of the tea. Honeysuckle, if she wasn't mistaken.

"Granddad decided he'd had enough of being in charge and wanted a peaceful end to his life. Put me and Kister in charge of bringing the information to Luke Skywalker and to take him back, if possible."

Minneko played with a cookie between her fingers, clearly thinking about all the moments that led to the message she'd received at the end of the first hyperspace jump.

"What about your parents?"

"Mum's been dead for years, never knew my dad. According to Granddad, she went out and traveled the galaxy for oh, three, four years. Came back, me and my sister in tow and never said a word. Died later on, had heart problems. Masako and I are lucky we didn't inherit that."

"And she never said a word about your father?"

"Not one word. Granddad reckons she met a guy and he broke her heart. Never guessed more than that."

"What about-" Whatever Rey was going to say was interrupted by the klaxon.

 **Dun, dun, dun. The First Order has arrived. I wonder who will show up next.**

 **Currently swamped by personal stuff. I'm in the northeast US so there's the impending threat of snow today. Also I'm juggling two jobs and college, meaning that I write when I can. While updates have been fairly regular so far, I'll do my best to maintain that consistency. Just be warned: I've got my finals next week and I have two rather awkward conversations with each of my bosses. I also heard that I've been promoted within my historical society (from schoolmarm-in-training to schoolmarm). It's a volunteer position, but I've yet to find out what that entails other than I've got to give up the better part of May to doing tours of the old schoolhouse in my town.**

 **May the Force be with you-**

 **Sparky**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, for better or worse, I've decided what to do with this story. I've also decided that my second boss is overrated and to hell with them. I'm doing what's best for me, and if they don't like it, then they can kiss it.**

 **Also, my final went well. I'm glad. Now I just have the rest of my life to sort out.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

D'Qar

Minneko and Rey were out of the ship in seconds. "If it's the First Order, they're looking for three things." Minneko and Rey dodged techs and pilots who'd been woken out of a dead sleep. "You, Master Skywalker, and me."

"Why do you say that?" The war room was in chaos. "It's obvious. Master Skywalker's the last Jedi, the First Order's on him for that. You pissed off Kylo Ren just for existing and me, well, if Ren finds out that there're more of us, then he's going to want to kill us too."

Gathered hastily around a map of the system was the Resistance High Command. "We've got only about ten minutes before they start landing ground troops. Scramble whatever fighter's we've got and everyone else make for these coordinates." Minneko plugged them into the computer before General Organa could even begin talking. "It'll take you straight to Illum. Mind you, you'll be in tight quarters till Masako and I can get things sorted, but you can regroup from there."

"Can your HAB take all the occupants of the base?" Organa looked at Minneko dubiously. "I don't know, but it's the best chance we've got. Whatever reason, both the Empire and First Order have left us alone, and there's bout a thousand of us they'll have to get through to get to you. From there, we can jump you to any number of places we've determined they've got no presence."

Minneko paused. "General, I know you've got no reason to trust me, but given the circumstances, I advise you do. We've got supplies and other things you'll need if you want to keep the fight going."

"What are you going to do?"

Minneko shrugged as Kister-bedraggled and still half asleep came running in carrying a pack. "Buy you enough time to get away. Kister and I will lead them out while you lot focus on getting out of here."

"How are you going to do that?" Rey asked. "They're not looking for you."

"But they are looking for you." Kister said, catching on. "From a distance, we'll look like we're fleeing the fight, draw attention away. They're likely to want to bring you and Master Skywalker in alive."

"It will be dangerous." Skywalker said, for the first time, speaking. "But it might work."

Organa nodded. "Get to it then. Just get to a transport!" she called as the two sprinted out of the briefing room.

-PAGEBREAK-

"This is nuts," Kister said, following Minneko as they made their way out of the base and into the woods.

"It was your idea." Minneko didn't hesitate as they sprinted further from the base. "So, plans?"

"Start a fire, smoke 'em out." Kister said. "Wait till they've caught a glimpse of us before breaking to the ship."

"Go to the _Falcon_." Minneko advised. "Rey will keep it there for a while to make it look empty and when the base is almost empty take off."

"And then?"

"We hightail it back home," Minneko drew her lightsaber as the first stormtroopers emerged. "Figures."

Kister ignited his own blade, deflecting blaster bolts back at the troopers. One fell, then another. Back to back, they tried to find a hole in the troopers' ranks to no avail.

"Any ideas?" Minneko asked, striking a trooper in the chest with his own shot.

Kister didn't respond, rather went on the offensive, cutting a path through the troopers. "C'mon," He called, taking off back in the direction of the base.

Minneko deflected one last bolt before turning and following.

-PAGEBREAK-

Half an hour later and Kister was beginning to wonder if Kylo Ren had appeared himself or was merely overseeing things on the _Finalizer._ He and Minneko had gotten separated earlier and Kister hoped she'd had enough sense to make a break for their ship.

Making one last check of the base to ensure all stragglers were accounted for, he saw her come from the hangar where the X-wings had been stored.

No such luck, then.

"Minneko!" She looked up and grinned.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Don't."

 **Okay, next chapter, things get pretty dark, twisted and the emo Ben Solo makes his appearance.**

 **Until then-may the Force be with you.**

 **Sparky**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy Saturday everyone! And Happy early-Big Game (ahem) Sunday to American football fans. Yeah, the traditional name has been officially trademarked by the NFL, so I can't write it here. We all know what I'm talking about anyway. I watch it for the commericals rather than the game. When the players are on the field I'm cooking some bacon-wrapped scallops and running out to see the Budweiser Clysdales. I remember the frog commercial from when I was a kid-three would croak out a syllable and I loved it so much I haggled my dad until he videotaped it.**

 **Okay, okay, here we go. Now please, I'm not good at writing action, so please be forgiving.**

Chapter 6

D'Qar

Minneko wasn't sure whether she had a death wish or if it was to prove an academic theory. She could argue more for the academic theory, but at the moment, she had to admit she was curious.

And okay, she had a bit of a death wish if she wanted to speak to Kylo Ren.

Kister was right behind her, knowing that she was doing this in the name of academia-know thine enemy and all that rubbish.

"How do we even know he's even here?"

"The last time the Dark Side was that strong, it was on the flipping Death Star. Get to the _Falcon_. Tell them to take off."

"What about you?" Kister slowed to stand beside her. "How are you going to-"

"Don't worry about me. Just get back home. They're going to need you for coordinates."

"Just come home, all right? Your sister will kill me otherwise."

"Can't make any promises, but I'll try. Go!" Kister took off in the direction of the _Millennium Falcon._

Minneko took off in the opposite direction, following the dark prescience inside the base.

She stopped, trying to get her bearings, the woods quiet around her.

"Who are you?"

"Minneko Olan." She turned, facing the dark robed figure. "And you must be Ben Solo."

"That name," the figure spat, igniting its lightsaber, "no longer has any meaning for me."

"Then why react?" She drew her own, the blue blade in cool contrast to the unstable red.

Kylo Ren attacked first and Minneko parried. It was clear, as they dueled, that for better or worse, Kylo Ren knew how to fight.

"Who is your master?" Minneko knew that Form II combat was not as advanced, but hell, she had never planned on being in this type of situation.

"It _was_ Ferrus Olan," she jabbed only for Ren to spin out of the way. "I'm on my own for now."

Minneko had sparred only a few times and never in actual combat. There was a reason she spent her time analyzing, studying, anything to make up for what she knew was her biggest deficiency: lack of will to injure.

She paid for this momentary lack of concentration, screaming in agony as the red blade nearly took off her arm. She collapsed, dropping her weapon and curling in on herself. "If you kill me now, you'll never find the rest of us," she warned, knowing that it was a cheap shot to keep herself alive.

Ren paused, considering this. Minneko had given in to the inevitable when she was roughly hauled to her feet.

They stood there. Minneko could feel Ren holding her in place. She didn't resist. Instead, she centered herself. He could take her to Snoke, who would rip her to shreds without a thought. Or he could try to break her himself. _Good luck with that,_ she thought ruefully, sensing the still roiling conflict within him. He didn't have to say anything for her to be able to sense this.

They didn't have to wait long. Stormtroopers-summoned or otherwise came upon them. Minneko felt Ren release her a split second before one of the troopers roughly grabbed her arms, yanking them behind her back and securing them with binders.

 _At least Kister got away_.

She was an Olan. She was a Tesles. She could get out of this.

-PAGEBREAK-

"Oi!" He called, seeing the crew of the _Millennium Falcon_ -including Master Skywalker and the Princess-General, whatever-followed. "Wait for me!"

Stormtroopers were coming in heavy now. "Get to the turrets!" Kister dumped his bag and followed Finn-at least he thought it was Finn-to the turrets.

"This is where the fun begins," he muttered, putting on his headset. "How many we looking at up there?"

"We'll find out in a sec," Around the _Falcon_ , X-wings and TIE Fighters screamed past in blurs.

 _Sako will kill me if Minneko isn't all right._ He shoved the thought to the side as he aimed and fired. Minneko could take care of herself. He hoped.

"How long til we can get to hyperspace?" The TIEs were coming quickly now. His question was answered as he was thrown back as the ship went to lightspeed.

 _Now how the seven hells am I going to tell Masako I left her sister behind?_

-PAGEBREAK-

On the shuttle Minneko eyed the two troopers watching her warily. Kylo Ren was preoccupied-she heard him snarling in the cockpit.

Things had changed and she admitted she was terrified. No amount of training could prepare you for such a thing. You had to act, reflex was important. Talking about First Order interrogation techniques was quite different from looking at them in the face.

She slumped forward. The rough pat down the troopers had given her hadn't detected one of the fail-safes she and Kister had agreed on, more out of needing a Plan B than anything else. Plan A had been shot the second the _Finalizer_ exited hyperspace. Plan B-well, Plans B and C, was simple: get Skywalker to Illum and deal with the consequences later.

The capsule was still in her pocket and she quickly used the Force to levitate it to where she could slip it into her mouth. The metallic taste was bitter and cold. Swallowing bile, she maneuvered it to her cheek. She had to be careful now. One wrong move and she'd taste cyanide. _Only if there's no way out_ she promised herself. _Otherwise get the hell out of here as soon as possible._

She affected a bored expression, straightening as Kylo Ren stalked into the passenger area.

The two stared at each other, daring the other to speak first.

 **Okay, here we go about the main plot of the story. Now, I still have a few routes that I can go for this and I'm wondering which will work best: for me, you, and the story overall.**

 **So, I've found my entertainment for when I'm bored tomorrow evening. How 'bout you?**

 **May the Force be with you-**

 **Sparky**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi! Sorry this is late, but RL has been kicking my ass lately: one of my bosses is on my ass, I work in the Seafood Department of a grocery store and Lent just started (argh), school's getting ready for the big finale, and well, we're playing pass the cold at my house and my mother's the only one who hasn't gotten it yet.**

 **So I've spent most of my time in bed trying to straighten out my life since everyone's pulling me in a different direction every ten minutes.**

 **I'll probably just switch to updating on Fridays since that seems to be my only day where I can get anything done. So I'm updating now, and the next update will take place on the 19** **th** **.**

Chapter 7

Illum

Masako couldn't sleep. Minneko hadn't responded to her last message-it was too soon for her to be in hyperspace, which meant something was wrong.

She took the cigarette from her mouth and stubbed it out in the ashtray. Lighting another, she paced some more. The mission was simple: go to D'Qar, get Skywalker to come to Illum, and hand over the reins as soon as he landed.

The turtle in the tank stared back at her. After living with aforementioned turtle for most of her life, Masako felt she could read his expressions. "I know it's nighttime." She snapped, agitatedly wishing she'd wheedled her grandfather into telling her where his supply of booze was. "I'm not stopping you from going to sleep. Just turn tail or something."

Instead, the turtle climbed up onto his rock and fixed her with a glare. "Minneko isn't here, Bob," she snapped, taking another puff. The turtle blinked. "I stress smoke! Argh, forget it." She stormed out of the kitchen area, taking her ashtray with her.

In the kitchen, Bob the turtle wrapped his tail in close and retracted his limbs as he closed his eyes. Silence was golden. Now he could sleep.

-PAGEBREAK-

Somewhere in hyperspace, _Millennium Falcon_

Whether or not he was hiding was debatable at the moment. Kister had claimed the disused cargo hold for his own almost as soon as they'd reconvened in the main area.

Now, he lay staring up at the ceiling, trying to imagine a scenario where Masako didn't kill him on sight upon learning her sister had been captured by the First Order.

The GO bag he'd snatched lay near the door, Kister reluctant to unpack it. The cold metal of the floor didn't bother him, as he tried to find a situation where both he and Minneko could have both gotten on the _Falcon._

"Are you hungry?" The ex-stormtrooper, Finn, if his memory served him right asked, poking his head in.

"Not really," Kister supposed he should eat _something_. "I'll be up in a mo'."

Apparently the First Order didn't teach Finn how to read body language because he stepped into the room. "I know how you feel. When I escaped the First Order Poe and I stole a TIE and we crashed on Jakku. I thought he was dead so I left him."

"Yeah, but you met up again and blew the hell out of the Starkiller." Kister sort of wished that Finn would stay. "Minneko was alive, and now Ren's got her. Her sister's going to kick my ass for that."

"I take it her sister's not so relaxed?" Kister knew he'd have to have a conversation with everyone at some point and they'd all revolve around the same topic. "Hell no. Minneko's not meant to fight, though she's pretty decent. Masako though, she'd terrify the hell out of the First Order." He drew his knees up to his chest. "I guess that's why everyone worries about her."

"Minneko or Masako?"

"Minneko. Like, she's too gentle. She knows how to fight, but she'd rather talk. Arguing with her is like you're punching a kid in the face. Masako, she seeks out the fights, she'd knock you out if you tell her no. Her granddad chose Minneko because she's good at diplomacy. He didn't know-"

"How dangerous the First Order is." Finn finished. "I know. That's why I defected. They killed an entire village just to get part of a map."

Kister sighed. "See, that's why Minneko would've been better off home. Except that her mind, well, it's like nothing anyone's ever seen before."

"How so?" Finn sat down across from him.

"Like, she can take one look at you and know what makes you tick. Like every little dark secret you've ever had, she can tell just from one look. She's just too polite to say so."

"I'm guessing unless you push back at her." Kister cracked a smile. "Right in one."

 **The secondary character of Bob the turtle is inspired by my brother's real life turtle, Squirttle. Squirttle came about sixteen years ago but somehow I've ended up taking care of him rather than my brother. He does live in our kitchen and there is a mirror behind his tank on the wall that we can never remove now, as he's discovered a friend in the mirror. He has different expressions and it's interesting to just sit and talk with him, because his eyes do follow you, he is vocal, and he does have a way to communicate what he wants (whether it be food, his sunlamp off, to get out of the tank and walk around the house or for me to just shut up and leave him alone).**

 **Squirttle is a red-eared slider, meaning he has red stripes where his ears are. Red-eared sliders have retractable necks, helping them hid their head in their shells for protection. As they grow (they continuously do throughout their lives) their shell flakes and grows just a tiny bit larger. In the winter, he doesn't hibernate, he just becomes less active and spends more time either in a corner of his tank sleeping or on his rock, sleeping and/or observing us throughout our day.**

 **May the Force be with you!**

 **Sparky**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, real life is still kicking my ass, but I have a few more chapters pre-written so we should be okay. Currently, I'm stuck in academic limbo, waiting to see if my college accepted my application for grad school or not (so glad I don't have to take the GRE-Graduate Records Examination)…so yeah.**

Chapter 8

 _Finalizer_

Kylo Ren was...unsettled.

The Force was mocking him. The girl was…bright, warm, luminescent, _pure_. He felt infected just looking at her. She was too…relaxed, too at ease.

Even locked in a cell, he could feel the warmth of the Light Side surrounding her like a blanket.

General Hux had been unsettled at his first glimpse of her-arm bleeding sluggishly as the troopers hauled her off to medical for an assessment. She looked almost angelic, even with her disheveled appearance.

He delved into her mind, curious and immediately pulled out, repulsed at what he saw.

An old man, instructing the girl on the proper way to hold her lightsaber.

An identical girl-a twin, no doubt- giggling as she tossed a snowball at her before running away.

Warm, intimate evenings before a fire as the old man regaled the girls with stories of battles and Jedi.

The sun shining and birds singing as she danced around an empty forest.

He wanted to puke, this girl, this _child_ was so simple. Where was the treachery? Where was the malice? Where was the awe-struck _fear_ of being held captive?

It was clear she had been trained. The manner she held her lightsaber spoke of long hours of practice. Her presence, while not as bright as the scavenger's was there, more trained and focused, not the raw untapped power he'd felt on Starkiller.

The stormtroopers finished strapping her to the device and they faced each other. Her arm was hardly bleeding now and a purple bruise formed at her temple.

"Leave us," he snapped and the troopers scrambled to obey.

She met him with a defiant gaze and beneath his helmet, he smirked.

This would be fun.

-PAGEBREAK-

Then:

Ord Mantell

The cantina was as typical as one could come in the smugglers' network of shady spots and back alleyways.

She wondered what the hell she was doing here. Her dad was understanding about her leaving, his only request that she contact him on a regular basis. _Like the Force wouldn't tell him if I was dead,_ she thought, toying with the idea about making contact with the Rebellion-now New Republic-after the Emperor's defeat at Endor.

"Eponine?" She jumped, turning. " _Heya, captain."_ She said, recognizing the Correllian and Wookie as they took seats at her table. "What brings you out here? I heard you went legit."

"Can't a guy hang around his old haunts every now and then?" Han Solo pulled the sleeve of a passing waitress. "Gimme a shot of whiskey, Whyren's, if you've got it." Chewbacca roared his order as she walked to the bar.

"So how's the princess?" Eponine asked, leaning forward. "Had your happy ending yet?"

"Not so soon. There's a lot of legal legwork in forming a government. What about you? Last I saw you, you were stuck on Illum working flight control."

"Last I saw you, Granddad tried to get you to give up smuggling for the Hutts." Chewbacca barked a laugh before asking Eponine a question.

"More like Dad's thinking about turning Illum over to Skywalker." Eponine went quiet as the waitress returned with Han and Chewbacca's drinks. "You know, the old stuff."

"Luke seems to have a handle on what he's doing." Han said. "But he could use some help starting-" "Finish that sentence, I dare you. I've never been and I'd rather not. Dad's a traditionalist. Seems to think he's mucking things up."

"Well it's not like he has much to go on. The Empire did a number on any reference to Jedi a long time ago."

Chewbacca rumbled in agreement. "Dad's taking a wait and see attitude with this. If there's any chance of success, Illum's Skywalker's no matter what the clan leaders say. If it looks like there's going to be a repeat of the Purges-"

"Then you've still got your hidey hole and hopefully I won't rat you out." Han finished. "Still doesn't explain why you're out and about."

"I'm a Tesles. I've spied for the Rebellion. Far be it to me have a legitimate gig outside of my home planet. Besides, isn't travel a part of education?"

"Depends on what kind of education you're looking for."

"He's going to marry a princess and he still talks smuggling. Chewbacca, how do you put up with him?"

Chewbacca responded that the adventure made it all worthwhile.

"So what else is new?"

-PAGEBREAK-

 _Millennium Falcon,_ hyperspace

Dinner had been silent and awkward. At least, that's how Kister had taken it. He was back in the small hold he'd claimed for himself, trying to find a way to tell Masako what had happened to her sister in a situation that didn't get him shoved outside the HAB without cold weather gear.

So far, he'd come up with nothing.

He had started picking through the GO bag Minneko had packed. Hers had been abandoned on D'Qar along with their transport. His included what he expected it would: water, survival rations (he mentally gagged), thermal blanket, tarp, glowrod, and deck of cards.

Well, he could at least supply a bit more food and water. Hopefully then they could stretch their resources a bit more. Weather on Illum was unpredictable at best and no-fly warnings were issued within seconds of storms bearing down on them. Supply ships had once been sent away because of a month-long storm that made it impossible for ships to enter or exit the planet.

Sorting done, he leaned against the bulkhead. While definitely more level headed, it took a lot for Minneko to act rashly.

"I'm fucked," he said, realizing just what was going on. Minneko was alone, captive held by Kylo Ren and Syberean. It wasn't a good combination. While fail safes were something that her grandfather had drilled them on more than once, he had always emphasized it would be better to see them come home alive than dead or not at all.

Minneko was tough, and in between interrogations she would sift through possibilities, probabilities, and the outcomes of each. He knew that she carried a single cyanide capsule in her pocket. He did as well. _Dead men tell no tales._

Without Minneko there to give them information-willingly or not-it would take the First Order time to realize who she was, where she had come from, and what that meant.

He stood up. He had to stop thinking, stop dwelling. Any such thing during one of his training sessions usually resulted in a sharp whap to the back of his leg by instructors. He had to focus. He still had a mission to complete.

 **Because some of you have PM'd me, I'm going to say this now: I'm not dealing with the issue of Rey's parents in this fic. If it comes up, it does, but at this point, I have no plans for it to. So please, with all due respect, stop asking.**

 **Until next Friday, may the Force be with you!**

 **Sparky**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's chapter 9! I figured that since Fridays seem to work better for me at this time, I'll start posting on Fridays. One more day for you to enjoy, and one less thing for me to forget on Saturdays.**

Chapter 9

Illum

Rey was more or less ready to leave the _Falcon_ for solid ground. It wasn't that she disliked the ship-oh no, it was a beauty. Granted some of the "modifications" had to be patched up on a fairly regular basis, but this was _hers._

"Okay, run down of what to expect," Kister had been giving them bits of advice about Illum on their journey. Since he was the only one (besides possibly the general) who had an inkling of what to expect she and Finn took careful mental notes.

"Masako will be in one of three moods." Kister said, leaning against the bulkhead as they prepared for landing. "Either, ready to kill me, ready to just disappear and leave on a rescue mission, or-and I'm hoping-going to stick around long enough for us to formulate a plan."

"Why would she think of attacking the _Finalizer_?" Finn was already strapped into his seat. "That's suicide."

"Well, her grandmother once made a habit of breaking into the Senate and only stopped when she was told that she'd be sent back home if she kept it up." Kister replied. "So she started breaking into other high-security places."

Stories like that had been common and Rey wasn't sure if they were true or just that: stories. "How did she pull that off?"

"We come from a long line of hackers and people who don't care much about rules if it gets in the way of our amusement."

"Don't you mean 'slicers'?" Finn looked incredulous. Chewie roared and Kister snorted.

" 'Slicer' implies that we followed some kind of moral code. 'Hacker' means you find something challenging and keep at it."

"That's how you found Illum?" Master Skywalker asked, amusement present in his voice.

"Actually, the Jedi took us there." He looked out the cockpit. "Shit, I thought we had talked about this."

Despite the obvious cold, a large crowd had gathered to welcome the Resistance ships. "Ah hell, just kill me now." Chewbacca roared in laughter as Rey brought the ship down in the landing area.

"Okay, so, if I don't survive, it's been a pleasure knowing you." Kister looked slightly pale as he said this.

"She's not going to kill you," the general stood, following Kister as they made their way out of the _Falcon._

"Ma'am, she's a Tesles, she could probably walk right through the Knights of Ren and come out unscathed."

Rey didn't catch Leia's response as she dawdled shutting down the controls. R2-D2 drew up alongside her, beeping. "No, I'm not afraid," she said. "I just…don't like snow."

Artoo whistled something mocking before exiting the cockpit. Rey was going to retort, but thought better of it.

Exiting the ship, she saw that obviously, they were expected. The crowd was a mix of beings, clapping and calling out. At the end of the aisle, she saw that a single girl-Masako Olan she supposed-stood waiting, hands behind her back.

People tossed flowers in front of the group as they made their way towards the girl. Leia laughed, waving. Finn seemed somewhat at ease, walking alongside R2.

Masako Olan looked exactly like her sister, but had none of Minneko's softness. Her hair was held in place by a band embroidered with tiny beads and the creases on her skirt-Kister had called it a kilt-were much sharper, if that was all possible. Like Kister and Minneko, Masako's lightsaber was fastened to her calf, rather than on her belt as Master Skywalker's was. The faint sunlight of Illum was reflected in her pin at her shoulder, casting faint shadows this way and that around the dragon etched onto the surface.

They reached the girl and Kister hesitated. "Ma'am, this is Masako Olan. Masako-"

" _Lo se, Kister. Dia duit. Je m'appelle Masako Olan. Mon grand-pere etait Ferrus Olan, un heda de Jedi de la Republique. Comment allez-vous?"_

Finn and Rey exchanged glances before Leia stepped forward. " _Dia est mur duit, Masako. Je suis Leia Organa et il est mon frère Luke Skywalker._ "

They shook hands and Masako dipped a small curtsey. The crowd roared its approval. "Sorry bout all this," Masako said, switching to Basic, much to Rey's relief. "We got word you were coming and, it's been a while since we've had a proper Jedi come here, they wanted to celebrate."

They entered the HAB and Rey immediately felt warmth sink back into her limbs. Kister had been right-Illum was cold. Colder than Starkiller or space, and she was glad that people here understood the need for _heat_.

"Kister, where's my sister?" Though Masako was speaking calmly, Rey felt the frustration rolling off her in waves.

"Well-" Kister stopped and Masako gave him a look. "Okay-the base was attacked, we got separated and the told me to complete the mission. Please, Masako, don't kill me."

Masako slapped Kister hard. "You left her with-urgh, I'm not even going to bother right now. There are more important things to worry about. Like, how am I supposed to accommodate all the damn X-wings? We can't stack them on top of each other." Masako spun on her heel.

"So far we've had six squads check in through the main hangar and two more are in through the north entrance." Masako led them up a set of stairs to what looked like an apartment complex. Pressing her thumb onto the scanner she let them in. "This was Granddad's office. Mom's was next door."

The room they entered looked cheery. Painted a bright blue, Rey could almost imagine the man who had worked here. Masako went around the desk while everyone found a surface to sit or perch on.

"Okay, basic logistics of this place are: we've got medical, the mess, a few dozen hangars, living areas, loads of service corridors and out of the way corridors. Electricity and plumbing run on hydroelectric power. There's a couple hundred people who fly in supplies on a regular basis. The biosphere is pretty much the only place anything green can grow and the farm's located in the south wing."

"Farm?" Rey asked, curious. "Livestock, mostly, few vegetable plots, Tried to get tauntauns a while back, but it fell through. Granddad refused to authorize a mission to Hoth to acquire a breeding population. Bant seconded him, so we're raising huskies instead for sleds. Grandmom had a cousin who rescued a few before the Death Star. Right now the goal's to introduce enough genetic diversity into the pack that there's no chance of the pups having problems."

"I think my first question is why are you here?" Master Skywalker leaned forward slightly.

"I think that would be obvious. No one wanted us, not even in the Old Republic. Sybereans only got citizenship from Alderaan to help with the Clone Wars. After the Clone Wars ended…Palpatine had met enough of us to decide that we wouldn't help him with the Empire. Some of us went back, to Alderaan. Those who had served knew something of what was coming, so they fled. We've got a few on various planets, but the majority who're here had something personal against the Empire."

"And that was?" Masako shrugged. " _Ohana_ means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. The Empire wiped out the Jedi, so we fought back. We settled here because of the Jedi."

"The Crystal Caves," Kister dimmed the lights and brought up a map on the holoprojector. "The Jedi would come here to gather crystals for their lightsabers. No place in the galaxy was more revered by the Jedi of the Old Republic or feared by even the Sith. Those caves were a holy place. It was sacrilege that one of us would go there. The Ruse Spies used synthetic crystals in their lightsabers. We settled here to brace for a fight: Sith against Syberean. Even if the Empire defiled every other black hole in the galaxy, we would protect it."

"But your crystals aren't synthetic." Finn spoke almost intuitively.

"Correct." The projection disappeared and the lights came back up. "Granddad, as the last Jedi-far as we knew-gave the Sybereans permission to not only be trained, but gather crystals from the caves."

"Of course, than they received word about Master Kenobi on the Death Star. _Heda_ said it changed nothing. Said that we were the keepers of the future, whatever that meant."

"How many people have been trained here?" Masako shrugged. "At least seventy-five percent have some kind of training regarding the Force."

She leaned on the desk. "So, will you help us, Master Skywalker?"

-PAGEBREAK-

 _Finalizer_

Children ran about, playing with their toys as he looked. She was here. Someone came up behind him.

Someone was calling his name. He turned and saw her waiting there. "C'mon, we're going to be late!" There was little resistance as he came to stand beside her. It seemed natural to wrap his arms about her waist and pull her in close. She smelled of sun and wind and air, everything good in the galaxy.

"I'm glad you're here, Ben," she whispered into his ear as they held each other.

 _Ben._

 _Ben._

 _BEN!_

In his quarters aboard the _Finalizer,_ he jolted awake, panting. Glancing about the room, he saw nothing was amiss. Except-

His grandfather's helmet. He walked to the small alcove and knelt before the relic.

Reaching reverently out he touched the mask. "Grandfather," he murmured. "Help me."

"The Light, Grandfather, it's calling me again. How do I make it stop?" Deep down, he reached into the Force, willing a response from Darth Vader. "I thought I had crushed it…I thought," He let his head fall forward. "I was weak, but now, I'm strong. Please, help me embrace the darkness."

 _Do not fear, young one._

His head snapped up, "Grandfather?" He whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

 _Search your feelings, Ben._

"You know my name, Grandfather, the name I chose. Why do you not call me by it?"

 _You have done nothing to earn it, child._

Ren's head fell forward once more, "Forgive me, please…please forgive me. Show me, show me how I can earn that name."

 _Ferrus Olan was once a Jedi. His line lives on as mine does._

"The girl from the base." Kylo realized. She was Ferrus Olan's grandchild as much as he was Vader's. He could feel how pleased his grandfather was at his quick connecting of the dots.

 _She has been trained in the old ways, ways older than the Jedi themselves. Do not underestimate her._

"What should I do?" his mind was working quickly. Should he kill her? If she was such a threat-?

 _No._ His grandfather's rebuke was cold and he felt as though he'd been slapped across the face.

 _All will be revealed in time._

 **Again, I'm still undecided on where I want to go with this, so I've typed up multiple possibilities and will fit them in as I go.**

 **Just a poll: who wants Ben redeemed and who wants him lost to the dark?**

 **Just drop me a review or a line.**

 **May the Force be with you!**

 **Sparky**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so I had this chapter finished, and polished, and ready to go. But then I reviewed it, scrapped huge sections of it and decided to change my mind completely.**

 **This is the result.**

Chapter 10

 _Finalizer_ , hyperspace

Hyperspace made her a little sick. The Force was at odds with what she had been surrounded by and she wondered how people did it all the time.

Minneko tried to relax and center herself. They were letting her rest-for now, and she wanted to take as much advantage of the opportunity as possible. Her wrists and ankles chaffed against their restraints and Minneko was grateful for the material that at least cushioned her ankles a little.

A low moan escaped her as she took stock of her injuries. Her head was pounding and her arm felt as though it was on fire. She ached from being forced into this position for so long. She doubted she could stand for long-let alone walk-at the moment with the pain in her ankle.

She slowly expanded her senses outward, keeping her prescience small. Ren would no doubt be unhappy if he sensed her before he was ready. Two troopers stood guard outside. They weren't Force-sensitive, but she could easily read the feelings of boredom and slight fear in them. Last time a Force-sensitive had been held captive by the First Oder, she'd escaped all too easily.

Her best bet was to focus her attention on General Hux and Kylo Ren. Hux worked with Ren, grudgingly of course and while she doubted she'd be able to manipulate his mind, she could turn him and Ren on each other. Their relationship was already antagonistic and Hux was looking for any excuse (however discretely) to get rid of the Dark-Lord wannabe from "his" ship.

No, too risky. She might be killed in the fallout rather than some trooper. She concentrated. A small explosion sounded from across the hall. The troopers jerked out of their stupor and looked first at each other than at the closed doors. "Stay here. I'll check it out." The more senior of the two opened the door and stepped inside.

Step Two: find some way to get out of this machine and hope her ankle was only sprained.

She was a Tesles. She was an Olan. She could do this.

-PAGEBREAK-

The HAB, Illum

Hangar Bay

Poe landed his X-wing in one of the most bizarre scenes he'd ever seen. Beings with clipboards were running up to pilots to take down information before running off again. He took off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair, wondering what was coming next.

"All Resistance personnel please report to the Mess Hall for room assignments." The announcement replayed itself every few minutes so the still incoming ships were aware of what was going on.

A teenager came up to him, "Sorry, sir, but I've got to get some information before you go to the mess hall."

"Shoot," BB-8 released itself from its hold and spun over, beeping excitedly.

"Name?" 

"Poe Dameron," BB-8 chirped impatiently, probably eager to see R2-D2 again.

"Captain?" Poe nodded, keeping one hand on BB-8's dome to hold the droid in place.

"And obviously, X-wing pilot?"

"You got it. Is dinner anytime soon? We've been without a real meal for days."

The boy nodded. "Just after you get your room assignment, go to the Biosphere. There's a welcome party and my mam's one of the cooks. They've set up there. Nice to meet you, sir!" The boy ran off to take care of the next incoming X-wing.

"All right, what do you say we find out where we'll be sleeping?" BB-8 beeped in agreement as they joined the straggle of pilots and techs heading to the mess hall.

The line leading to the mess hall went on for a while and Poe passed the time taking note of who was there and who wasn't.

The line moved quickly and Poe could see that there were three tables set up. There wasn't much distinction on anything other than "go to the open desk."

When Poe's turn came, BB-8 had already abandoned him to speak with other astromechs, no doubt comparing stories and trading jibes. "Poe Dameron, Black Squadron."

The Mon Cal at the desk clicked a file on the datapad in front of him. "Single or double? Or no real preference?"

"No real preference. As long as we're not sleeping on the floor."

The Mon Cal nodded, flipping through vacancies. "There's a single near the Biosphere. Level 7, number 327. You won't have a long walk to dinner tonight. Here's your key, and if you could just press your thumb there for hangar access-"

Poe put his thumb on the pad. A beep told him it had been scanned successfully. "Thanks," He said, taking the key that the Mon Cal handed him.

The Mon Cal smiled, "My pleasure. Just keep doing your job so I don't have to see my grandkids grow up in fear."

Calling BB-8 away from the other droids, Poe made his way in a confusion of twisting hallways and confusing layouts. The other pilots who had already been assigned were already making themselves at home-claiming bunks and freshening up.

Poe stuck the key into the hole and waited for the lock to click open. He stepped inside. The room was larger than his on D'Qar with a neatly made bed in one corner. A desk equipped with a state-of-the-art computer sat opposite, next to a transparisteel window overlooking a sea of green. BB-8 chirped, asking what they had a view of. "It must be the Biosphere," Poe said, walking over and looking out and down. Trees-almost as big as those on D'Qar with their roots presumably just as deep stood. He could see more people setting up a picnic-style dinner and his mouth watered at the thought of real food instead of ration packs.

The room, he saw, upon closer inspection, was well appointed. Testing out the bed, he felt a real mattress for the first time in ages and fought the urge to fall asleep. BB-8 bustled back and forth, happy that the charging station was in its terms "perfectly functional" compared to the cobbled together mess Poe had rigged up on D'Qar.

The blankets and sheets were soft-comfort was obviously a priority here, and Poe knew he would happily die here, if only to feel the soft fabric of the sheets while he did.

Only the knocking on the door could have snapped him from his happy daydream. The door slid open, revealing Finn who looked about as wide-eyed as Poe felt. "Did you feel the sheets?" Poe asked, still not quite ready to move from the soft cloud he rested on.

"And the bed?" They both smiled and Finn pushed Poe over so he could climb on. "This feels amazing,"

"First Order never had anything like this?"

"Not that I ever saw," They both lapsed into silence as they let all their aches sink into the soft bedding.

"Think we should go to dinner?" Poe asked after a while, hearing the sound of people moving and music began drifting up.

"We should," Finn didn't show any sign of moving until BB-8, looking them over dubiously shocked them with his electroprod. "BeeBee!" Finn shot up and landed hard on the floor. "I was happily dying here,"

BB-8 squawked something sarcastic before zooming off.

"Droid has anger management problems," Finn muttered, picking himself up.

"He likes you," Poe said, now smelling the sweet smell of _real home-cooked_ food.

Finn, smelling the same thing, let the matter drop. "Dinner?" he asked as Poe reluctantly rolled off the bed himself.

"Dinner."

The party was in full swing by the time Poe and Finn entered the Biosphere. Someone pressed cups of a clear liquid (Poe suspected it was moonshine, not water) into their hands before running off.

Following the ever-growing scent of smoked meat, spices, and food, Poe and Finn loaded up plates with just about every delicacy that the residents had to offer.

Poe saw other Resistance pilots digging in as quickly as they could. Poe knew what they were on. Since fresh meat was so rare, Poe had often dreamt he'd eaten a whole nerf steak and only realized it was a dream when he'd properly remembered what he'd had for dinner: an unappetizing mix of wilting vegetables and synth meat.

So really, who was he to judge? Especially considering two pilots were sneaking bits of sausage off each other's plates.

"How's it going?" Kister appeared, having changed back into his kilt-something that Poe was still getting used to seeing. Many people here were wearing them. Others had added a colorful scarf in a particular pattern. The Resistance came in a mix of casual dress and uniform-most of the pilots had shucked their flight suits in favor of what Poe normally saw on down time.

"Good," Finn finished a rather strange-looking fruit that one of the residents had helpfully told him was a kiwi. "Good," Poe noticed how Kister sounded slightly strained.

"Avoiding your girlfriend?" Poe asked, knowing Kister's behavior from prior experience with other members of his squad.

"Yep," Kister knocked back some more moonshine. "At least until she's a little less…" "Aggressive?" Finn supplied helpfully.

"Yep. That and I'm not going to visit Ferrus Olan's grave until I'm no longer the bearer of bad news."

"Even dead, Granddad's considered intimidating," Masako appeared, holding a piece of cake on a plate and a sour expression. "By everyone except me."

"Well, you were his grandkid." Kister said. "You've got an unfair advantage."

"Minneko's his favorite." She said, casually sitting next to Poe. "Everyone knows it."

"And you were Bant's" Kister said, finally reaching for the jug of water in the center of the table.

"And Mom was the Captain's." Poe raised an eyebrow. "The Captain?"

"There was only one pilot that everyone ever called 'The Captain.'" Kister said, resting his elbows on the table. "Han Solo."

"Finer cap'n there never was," Masako said. "Upset Granddad for just existing."

"Well, that was between them," Kister said. "And I think that was because he was the one to convince your mom to leave here,"

"Oh Mom wanted to leave long before The Captain ever showed up." Masako finished her drink.

Kister snorted. "Yeh can't keep someone locked up. If they want out bad 'nough, they'll find a way."

 **Han Solo: The Captain. My friends and I have been calling him that long before Episode VII. And of course, I wanted to give Leia a bit more closeness to this place. Because really, her dad tried to kill her, her son turned to the dark side, and her husband and brother each ditched her for their own misguided way of making amends. Or in Luke's case, avoiding the problem completely.**

 **And yes, the HAB is essentially a luxury resort that the First Order would kill for-at least until they encountered the residents. The hard workers can sleep on real beds, eat real food, and have some sense of normalcy in the midst of the war. Kind of like Disney: you escape there and don't realize how high your credit card bill is until you check your statement after vacation.**

 **I'm planning a trip to Disneyland and the feels are getting to me.**

 **I apologize.**

 **May the Force be with you-**

 **Sparky**


	11. Chapter 11

**Good morning! I know this is early, but well, it's the only time I'll have today (I'm really supposed to be working on school stuff, but hey-it's early). I'm not going to bore you with details, but without further ado, chapter 11!**

Chapter 11

 _Finalizer_

The unexpected appearance of Kylo Ren on the bridge always sent shockwaves of fear through the Force.

Had he believed in the so-called power, General Hux might have felt the same. Having thrown one of his famous tantrums earlier, Hux could only hope he wouldn't have to deal with another broken control panel.

"Her resistance is considerable." Ren must truly be desperate. With both the scavenger and Resistance pilot, he had simply ripped into the minds of his victims and taken the information he wanted. However, it seemed that this girl-Hux hadn't bothered learning her name-could hold her own against the Knight of Ren.

"Have you used the IT-O?" That particular brand of interrogation droid had been in use since the early days of the Empire and-due to its success-had continued to be prominent in extracting information and even improved upon with the IT-000.

"Her resistance is…incredible."

"Sirs," Captain Phasma entered the bridge and Ren turned his attention toward her. "Information on the prisoner."

The holofile was small- unusual- as even the most ordinary Galactic citizen had more information readily available in any public database.

"No name?" Hux asked.

"No sir. The only analysis the techs can confirm is a possible relationship to two individuals: Arya Tesles and Ferrus Olan. Olan was-"

"A Jedi." Ren cut her off. "How close was the genetic match?"

"Enough to estimate that she is a close relative. Given her estimated age, it would suggest she is his granddaughter."

Hux made a mental note to requisition another control panel. Maybe two.

-PAGEBREAK-

The holographic image towered over him and Ren stood his ground. 

"She is the granddaughter of a Jedi of the Old Republic." Ren had removed his mask, sure that his emotions would not betray him.

"Ferrus Olan was unaccounted for in the Purges," Snoke agreed, "it seems that he survived."

"How?" he asked. "My grandfather-"

"It appears, my apprentice that there was a miscalculation and overlooked even by Kenobi's reappearance."

"There must be more of them. She told me as much." The girl had been all too pleased on that score.

"Hunt them down." Snoke ordered. "Destroy every last one of them. It is better we find them before Skywalker. They would be a rallying point for both the Resistance and the New Republic. What of Olan? Does he still live?"

"He's dead." Ren felt dissatisfaction that he had been cheated of the opportunity to best not only another Jedi-but one his grandfather had likely faced.

"Be mindful of your feelings," the Supreme Leader added. "This girl is a means to an end, nothing more. Without a doubt, if Skywalker has found these elusive Jedi, they will no doubt rally him as their leader."

"Yes, Master." Kylo bowed as the transmission ended.

-PAGEBREAK-

The HAB, Illum

Rey couldn't sleep.

The bed was too soft, the halls too quiet, and try as she might, she couldn't help the unease that had settled in the back of her mind. The maintenance levels with their hum of machinery were soothing.

No one was down here at this time of night except-

The soft _plop, plop, plop_ of water echoed. Rey gripped her staff with one hand. That it was an intruder was unlikely, that the person dangerous even more so, but she wasn't willing to risk it.

"Who's there?" The spike of surprise rang through the Force and Rey quietly admonished herself. Most beings here were Force-Sensitive, trained, and more attuned to its presence than she was.

Rey stepped around a corner. A river was running underneath-how?

"It's been here for ages," Masako said, leaning over the railing as she skipped another stone. "No idea how it survives on an ice planet, but I reckon that it's warmer here near the equator than up near the poles."

Rey was taken aback "How-"

Masako grinned. "Sorry. You were projecting loudly and I couldn't help over hearing."

Three strings were attached to the railing, pulled along by the current. "Minneko set that up before she left. I didn't find it until last night and even then, something told me I shouldn't touch it."

"What's it for?" She asked, studying the thin string as it strained against the flowing current.

"Choose," Masako said. Rey hesitated before picking one of the strings. Masako produced a pair of scissors and the other two drifted away before she could even reach out for them.

"What is that?" Masako shrugged. "Odds you'll never face. Choices you won't have to make. Things you'll never know. You've made your decision. Hold fast to it. Pull it in."

Despite the fragility, she found it easy to pull the string. It snagged once or twice but she saw a glint against the dimmed lights. "Don't let it touch the railing." Masako cautioned as the glint swung dangerously close to doing just that.

Rey pulled the string over the railing. "Catch it,"

Rey held it in her hand. The string was attached to a charm. "A dragon." Masako said and Rey studied the wrought figure. The dragon had a small lightsaber in its claw. In its talons were tiny-"olive branches," Masako said, her fingers hovering, though not touching, the figure. "Typical."

"Typical of what?" Rey asked. "Typical of my sister. She speaks in riddles when she wants you to be the one to figure it out. Just like Granddad." She folded Rey's hand over the charm, careful not to touch it. "Keep this with you, but tell no one. If you do, you've already lost."

"Lost what?" Rey knew she sounded shrill, but this was new and frightening at the same time.

"Some things are set in stone. The sun rises; the sun sets, the moon waxes and wanes. Others are like the river: will it run north, south, east, or west? Will it carve its path through rocky terrain despite the challenge? Or will it bend to the will of the land and go only where the land lets it?"

Masako stepped back. "But what is clear, is that a new dragon will rise and decide the fate of us all."

-PAGEBREAK-

 _Finalizer_

Minneko could feel herself drift in and out of consciousness. They had left her alone-for now. She felt sick, but didn't have the energy to even moan. How long had she been here? Hours? Days? Weeks?

Her mental shields were failing and it would only be a matter of time before Ren was able to break through them. She choked, spitting up blood, careful not to lose her only means of escape. She felt for it, pushing it into her cheek just to ensure it was there.

The lucky ones came home, she'd learned that a long time ago. Whether they came home, had PTSD, eventually went back into the field, or a retrieval team brought the body home, the lucky ones were there to give families closure. She knew that she wouldn't be so lucky. Masako would know, of course, but funerals gave the family some sense of closure.

One of the earliest memories of the HAB she had was the wall of flimsiplasts depicting the people that had left at one point or another and never come home, never had a funeral. They wandered the galaxy, hungry ghosts, indiscriminately taking their revenge for being denied proper rites. Ghost funerals had become common, a means of pacifying the angry spirit and allowing them to rest.

Her stomach twisted at the thought of the same happening to her. She knew, Masako would seek revenge and lose herself in the process if that happened. Even as children, Masako had been quickest to anger, only to be talked down. This…would devastate her beyond belief and Minneko knew her sister, her other half, would never recover. And her spirit would never rest. In every violent wind, she could hear an angry spirit whose relatives refused to let them rest in peace.

Rolling the capsule around on her tongue, she considered her options. There weren't many, but Minneko knew that she had to buy time for Masako to mount a rescue attempt.

Taking a deep, painful breath, she made her decision.

None of the stormtroopers remarked on the little capsule they found smeared in blood.

 **Can you tell I've been binge-watching** _ **The White Queen**_ **? Yeah, that's why I rewrote most of this story because I saw it, was inspired, and well, it snowballed from there. It's okay: I've got an idea on where I want this to go now, so we'll see how it turns out.**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Sparky**


	12. Chapter 12

**Happy Friday, once again. Chapter 12 is a bit dark. In this chapter: Kylo Ren realizes Anakin Skywalker isn't the only ghost on the** _ **Finalizer**_ **; Leia finds memories and the plot thickens.**

Chapter 12

 _Finalizer,_ somewhere in space

The Force was crying.

He should revel in it as it sang a death song.

Instead, he found himself drawn once again, to the girl. She was clinging to life by a thread; using what strength she had to draw the Force around her. Whether she noticed him, she gave no sign, through the Force or otherwise.

Reaching out, he brushed a lock of hair from her bloody face. Her eyes flickered for a moment before drooping shut.

 _Let her go._

The voice was unfamiliar and he started, looking toward the door. No one was there.

 _Let her go, boy._ The voice was more insistent this time. The presence was unfamiliar, and he could not pinpoint it the way he had his grandfather's.

 _That's because I'm not him. Skywalker's not the only ghost on this ship._

"Granddad?" the girl's eyes flickered, dull and unfocused.

 _It's all right. I'm here._

The voice was still gruff, but softer this time.

A tear trickled down her cheek, drawing a clean streak on her face before her eyes flickered close again.

 _Let her go Solo, else I'll show you what the Dark Side really looks like._

"No." the girl struggled weakly against her restraints. "Don't. Please."

Kylo Ren weighed his options.

-PAGEBREAK-

The HAB, Illum

Leia was absolutely positive that Chewbacca was avoiding her. After the casual mention of Han by one of the residents, the Wookie had disappeared, claiming he needed to look at the _Falcon's_ stabilizers.

It was still an old rust bucket, so there was probably some truth to the excuse, but it was how quickly his courage evaporated that had left everyone standing around gobsmacked.

After demanding to see the quarters Han had called his while he was on planet, she had been escorted to a well-appointed apartment near the main control center. Stepping into the room was like stepping into a time capsule.

Datacards were thrown carelessly on a desk next to an old model datapad that had seen better days. A dartboard hung on a rusty-looking nail on the opposite wall (she'd found the darts in the top drawer, much to her amusement). What dominated the space were maps and star charts of various systems with handwritten notes, strewn about almost carelessly. A moldy, half-eaten sandwich sat on the kitchen table, as though the occupant had simply forgotten about his lunch while he completed the repairs on the air filter sitting next to it.

She saw signs of Han everywhere-in the half-completed machines and strewn-about tools. His toothbrush even sat next to the sink, as if waiting for him to return. The bed-as it always had been-was unmade. She was about to leave when she saw something half-sticking out from the closet.

The cover had been tossed aside carelessly at one point, and it left the contents open.

Opening one of the pieces of flimsi, she had to catch her breath.

 _Leia-_

 _It's been 37 days since we lost Ben and I still don't know what to do. I went to find him and bring him home, but I don't even know where to begin. The kid was no help, running off like that, so it's going to take me longer than expected._

 _I met Ferrus Olan today and he's a Jedi like Old Ben was. He's agreed to help, but he speaks in riddles, just like Old Ben and Luke. This hunk of ice rock is even worse than Hoth-can you believe that? I was supposed to leave yesterday, but a storm pulled in and everyone was grounded until further notice._

Leia fought the swell of emotion that threatened to overcome her as she fumbled for another letter.

 _Leia-_

 _Still no luck. Even Olan doesn't know where the first Jedi Temple is and we're both convinced that Luke's crazy trek is more to avoid coming to terms with what happened than anything else._

 _Olan's kid, Eponine (sweet girl, but she won't shut up) haggled me and Chewie until we agreed to go to the Jedi Temple with her. I figured why not? Eventually Luke's search might lead him here, and I'd like to be waiting. It was nothing like the school. This place was dark and creepy, and I'm convinced that's why Vader left it alone. It was creepy enough without him._

 _I was actually surprised when we reached the top-it was all light and you could see around for miles. It was at that point I asked Eponine point blank what everyone was doing here. She gave me a look (kind of like the one you gave me when we first met) and told me to ask her Dad._

She was truly crying now, as she flipped through most of the letters and hastily scribbled notes until she came to the last one.

She skimmed until the end-

 _I've got a feeling that things are going to change, and not a good one. Whatever happens, I've convinced Olan to send these to you if something does happen. At least you'll know I didn't spend all my time mindlessly smuggling and trying to test my luck like the flyboy you know I am._

 _If I don't see you again, I figure I'd better say it one last time._

 _I love you._

She curled on the bed, breathing in his scent letting his words wash over her. She noticed the holo on the bedside table. It was the three of them-her, Han and Ben, taken just before Ben had gone to Luke's school.

She clutched it to her, holding on even as she fell asleep.

 **Okay, while writing, I totally didn't intend for the chapter to end like this, but I couldn't write more without broaching topics that would make it up to ten pages. And I wouldn't do that to you.**

 **Until next time, may the Force be with you.**

 **Sparky**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here is where I begin questioning myself. I know how I want this story to the end. But then Ben Solo butted in. So this chapter was born.**

Chapter 13

 _Finalizer_

Hux surveyed the scene as techs cleared away the mess.

"She just collapsed?" he asked dryly, glancing at the black figure standing by the body.

"Yes."

Two unlucky stormtroopers hauled the body onto a gurney. A medic began making notes, hoping to gain anything of interest as he examined the body.

"And she said nothing?"

"Nothing of any use finding the Resistance." _Or finding Skywalker_ he added mentally. He felt slightly disappointed. She'd put up an admirable fight, only to die like that. He could feel she had slowly been weakening and in just another moment or two he could have easily extracted the information from her mind and summarily disposed of her.

But what she did tell him made his search all the more urgent. With more Jedi waiting in the wings, the First Order would have an even more difficult time establishing their rightful control. The medic rolled up the cuff on one of the legs of the girl's flight suit. A glint of something metallic caught his eye.

Ren snapped his attention to the writing etched into the anklet. A series of numbers and letters interspaced, making the true meaning unrecognizable. The medic carefully noted each in order.

"It appears to be some sort of tracking device," the medic murmured, setting his datapad aside and reaching for cutters. Kylo Ren and General Hux exchanged a look. If it were a tracking device, than the Resistance would likely have tried to find her before now.

The cutters easily snapped the metal, exposing the inside. "It's a set of coordinates," Hux said, recognizing the pattern. "Also, a vital monitor," the medic pointed out a small red light. "Transmits a signal to a receiver. Given the class, when she died, it stopped transmitting. The receiver would have terminated the signal."

"How common is this class of transmitter?"

"Used to be very common, during the Clone Wars. Now, they're outdated and surpassed by other classes. They're used in training because they're the most basic model."

"And the coordinates?"

"Point to the Alderaan System. This class of transmitter was developed by-"

"That's where they are." Ren interrupted. "Set a course for the Alderaan System."

General Hux gave the Knight of Ren a very significant look before leaving. Ren turned his attention back to the girl. It was perhaps a trick of the light, but he would have sworn that he saw a finger twitch.

Ren stalked from the room. He had business to attend to.

-PAGEBREAK-

The HAB, Illum

Main Mess Hall

Though it was early, the mess hall was already packed. Monitors posted throughout spat out information: weather reports, work schedules, general announcements (he noticed that the next shipment of supplies was due later that day).

Kister easily got his breakfast and sat at the table he normally shared with Minneko and Masako. Today, Masako was absent (and he knew that she'd opted for a private breakfast back in her quarters) and his stomach gave a little squirm at where Minneko was.

The morning chime sounded, silencing the echoing chatter that had until that moment occupied the hall.

A computerized voice ran down the main topics of the day: Resistance pilots were to report for a briefing in the auditorium (the only room large enough to hold them all), weather looked clear unless any storms popped up unexpectedly, and students were expected to attend classes as usual. Kister ignored this one, having completed his leaving exams a year ago.

School was more or less self-study: certain subjects were taught in groups: Galactic History, Geography, Science, and Physical Education, to name a few. Others like Languages, Mechanical Engineering, and other extra curricular activities were more often than not, done in pairs or alone. Few, such as Dance, required a full class in order to run properly. Students were required to pass exams throughout the year and failing any were cause for private instruction. Private instruction could also be sought out by the student-Minneko had trained in Library Sciences under the guidance of the old librarian before she'd retired. Masako, on the other hand, had done nothing more than pick up a blaster and started beating the figurative kriff out of everyone who'd dared to challenge her to a match at the range.

Kister, on the other hand, had found himself becoming something of an expert in removing grease stains from his clothes. His mother had straight up told him that if he insisted on getting his clothes filthy, than he could do his own wash and keep the grease out of the family's load.

Formal education ended when you passed all your leaving exams. You could follow Minneko's example and take them all at once or do what Kister and Masako had done and taken them one at a time as they completed the coursework. Once your education was completed, you could choose: either take some time off to figure out what you want to do or jump into a field that struck your fancy.

Typically children lived with their parents until Ferrus Olan decided you were ready to live on your own and not completely kriff up. While Kister had given the go-ahead to apply for his own private quarters, he remained with his family, largely because he was the oldest and his mother depended on him to help look after his younger siblings while she and her father worked: his mother in the hospital; his father as an engineer, trekking into the depths of the HAB to keep the building habitable.

Minneko and Masako lived with their grandfather, Kister suspected out of a sense of responsibility. Their mother had died when they were ten, and Ferrus Olan had begun, well, getting _old._ He'd urged his grandkids to move out, but Kister knew he appreciated them staying.

As the announcements droned on, Kister thought back to Masako's pet project (at the moment anyway). The starfighter they were working on together was almost complete-he reckoned he could finish the paint job before lunch and then brainstorm ideas about how to mount a rescue.

Of course, ultimately, Luke Skywalker would have to determine when-or even if-a rescue could be mounted, but he didn't want Masako curled up staring into space blankly.

With that thought, he deposited his tray and wondered what the original color scheme of the Delta-6 _Sprite_ Class was.

 **Okay, I admit that I have a soft spot for the Delta-6 fighters we see in ROTS. The X-wings are cool, but Anakin Skywalker was the original Red Five. And I'm kinda hoping to maybe see them in action again. Trust me, I've got a plan for this.**

 **Until next time: Happy Spring!**

 **May the Force be with you,**

 **Sparky**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry this is almost late, but RL has been kicking my ass, and I'm just glad I'm getting this up on Friday.**

Chapter 14

The HAB, Illum

Olan Family Quarters

The first memory Masako had was of silence. Not the comforting, shared silence of people just being around each other. But the cold, hard, enforced silence of someone in hiding. Masako had tried filling that silence, only for her mother to hush her, and whisper, _"Please, stay quiet-don't make a sound."_ The desperation was clearly there, fear, too. Masako didn't know what her mother feared, or why, but what she did know was that it was it was cold.

Not, freeze-your-bones cold like Illum. But the-rain-and-drizzle-makes-it-seem-so-very-cold. The sun had been a rare thing, and Masako remembers her mother being even more white-faced on those days.

Then, suddenly the silence disappeared and evaporated, almost as though it had been sucked up by the atmosphere. She had gone to sleep one night then woken up to cold sun and unfamiliar, snow-drenched surroundings. She supposed that was when her mother had finally returned to Illum. Everything since then was noise-whether it was people talking or even the gentle hum of the engines that kept the heat going. The Force, which had only whispered until then, started singing. She reveled in the feeling of it wrapped around her, singing with her as the energy flowed as she dodged and feinted, dancing to a tune only she could hear.

It was why Minneko had gone quiet. "How can you hear yourself?" Minneko had asked. "With all that noise?" For Minneko, the Force was a shield. It still hummed, but it surrounded her like a security blanket, keeping all outside noise _out._ Unlike her twin, all Minneko really remembered of those early years was the mind-numbing, terrifying _silence._

At the moment, Masako was sitting at the kitchen table while Bob lazily basked on his rock, sleeping. She envied him at the moment. As long as she remembered to turn his lamp on and off, and kept him fed and had an occasional conversation with him, Bob was happy.

The cup of caf had long since gone cold, but Masako preferred to focus on the facts (it's what her sister would have wanted her to do).

Thus she had studied the facts which were:

-Minneko's transmitter, the one that they all wore when going off-planet had stopped transmitting late last night or early this morning. Masako didn't know.

-The transmitters, as primitive as they were when compared to other models, were basic in just transmitting locations and vital signs. Minneko's had been steadily worsening to the point that she was honestly surprised there was a coherent pulse.

-They signal only stopped when either (A) they were removed, carefully so that they could be used again or (B) the subject they were attatched to was dead.

Thus she drew the following conclusion:

-Something bad had happened. Masako hadn't felt Minneko's death through the Force (and even then she would vehemently deny it happening until she saw her sister's body), so the only conclusion that Masako would accept right now was that those First Order bastards had found the transmitter and snipped it off, thus severing the connection.

She'd give it until lunch. Then she'd start feeling out a few trusted pilots to see if they'd be up for a rescue mission.

-PAGEBREAK-

The first thing that Minneko could remember was the noise. The screech of TIE Fighters as they flew overhead and steady fall of rain were two things that dominated her earliest memories. It was only when she had come to Illum that she understood the beauty of silence. She could hear herself think for one, and sense emotions more clearly for another. Everything before that had been largely dominated by fear, anger, worry, and it scared her. The silence was soothing, almost musical in a way that she couldn't explain. While Masako gravitated toward noise and excitement, Minneko pulled back, seeking calm and quiet. When Masako rushed ahead, Minneko stood still, thinking their chances over before finding the best solution.

Which was why she sought the soothing silence of the Force now. The pain-which had seemed endless-had vanished and she welcomed the oblivious haze that she'd sunk into. The chair she'd been strapped into (and really, the only thing holding her upright)had vanished and she sank into the bed gratefully, taking stock of what hurt most. Her ankle was definitely broken at this point, probably the pressure of the transmitter through her flight suit under the metal cuff had exacerbated the situation and she wished whoever was touching her face would _just stop_ and leave her be.

If this was dying, it wasn't so bad. Then again, if she were dying, wouldn't all the pain have vanished by now as she sank into final oblivion? Whoever was touching her face stopped at some point, and she could faintly hear them walk away. _Just make it quick, then._ They'd probably brought her to the medical bay for an evaluation and found her lacking. She braced herself for the feel of someone rolling up her sleeve and the pinch of the needle.

Involuntarily, she reflexively winced as a needle _did_ pierce her arm, right above the elbow. Instead of black nothingness as she'd expected, she felt herself grow more lucid. _Kriff._

Reaching out, she sensed someone nearby. The conflicted dark-and-light prescence she'd catalogued as Kylo Ren was nearby. He seemed…worried? She opened her eyes and shut them again. The light hurt. She blinked, eyes finally focusing on the figure standing at the foot of the bed.

"What're you doing here?" She wondered if she sounded as bad as she felt. "Going to kill me?"

The masked man didn't move. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it, already." The distortion in his voice grated in her ears.

"Right," she tried sitting up. A wave of nausea hit her and she laid back down, Experiment failed. She breathed through her nose until it subsided. "So why am I here?" Keeping his eyes (she supposed at least one would've known when Vader was looking at you. With that mask, he could've been staring at the wall for all she knew) on her, Ren moved forward.

"Where are the Jedi?"

"Not this again," she drawled, knowing she would have to think fast. "Where do you think we are? We're not stupid. We found a new place to hide out. Y'know, where no one sane would try to make a living."

"And where would that be?"

"Alderaan, of course. She motioned to her ankle. "You took my transmitter, course you know what coordinates were on there. Why would we have left our home system?"

"Home system?"

Minneko really wished that this guy would leave her alone, but kept up, knowing the more she talked, the more quickly she could plot her escape. "Ages ago, during the Clone Wars, the Jedi recruited a bunch of people from Syberea on Alderaan. My family was one of them-well, my gran at any rate-and after the war, they settled elsewhere. Then the Death Star shows up, blows up Alderaan and we're left essentially homeless. So a bunch of survivors from Syberea got together and decided to establish our home, if not on Alderaan, in the system."

"The Empire found no trace-"

"The Empire was made up of guys who couldn't find their own noses without a map and extensive training. They were stupid, and we took advantage of that stupidity. Then o'course, you come along and kriff everything up for us. Granddad had finally come 'round on seeing what Luke Skywalker was onto with his complete overhaul of doctrine and was ready to turn the system over to him. Not the New Republic-him."

Masako would have a laughing fit to see her make up the story on the spot. "And anyway, technically speaking, we're just _trained._ Old Order put a ban on us ever formally joining, so we can do some stuff, but not everything."

"You had a lightsaber."

"Not everyone does." Minneko could feel the drug's effects beginning to wear off. Plotting her escape was hard when she had to keep feeding information to get him to go to the Alderaan system. If that failed, well, all bets were off. Her eyes flickered and she felt herself being pulled under again.

 **Okay, so this a Ben Solo-redemption** **fic. I admit it. At least, that's now somewhat of an intention of my muse.**

 **May the Force be with you as we enjoy Episode VII on DVD!**

 **Sparky**


	15. Chapter 15

**Not much progress here. Sorry this is posted later in the day than usual, but I've had a bit of catching up to do in real life since y'know school (for me) starts on Monday.**

Chapter 15

The HAB, Illum

Finn honestly had no idea how they accomplished anything. Much of the residents' time (as far as he could tell) was spent in one of three activities: eating, sleeping, and recreation.

So how the blazes had they survived? He'd wandered into the library, mostly in search of something to do. While they were on standby, much of the time seemed to be dedicated to cryptology.

Honestly, the broadcast _classified First Order data._ Why hadn't they joined the fight before now?

At the moment, General Organa had asked him to look over some of the latest intelligence and verify its accuracy. As such, he was headed toward one of the cryptology workstations on the northern side.

"Hey, Finn!" He turned. Masako strolled through the aisles, looking as though she hadn't slept well. "Headed to cryptology?" 

"Yeah, there's some intel from the First Order." They fell into step. "Have you heard anything?"

"Not since her tracker went offline." Finn swipped his keycard for entry to an empty station. Masako sat next to him, shoving her bag under the desk. "Could've been a glitch, so I'm running an analysis from the last known pings it set off."

"She's with Kylo Ren." Finn said, putting on his headset as he prepared to receive the data. "There's not much chance she's still alive."

"But it's that one in hundred that I'm holding onto." Masako put on her own headset and pulled up a starchart.

-PAGEBREAK-

 _Finalizer,_ near the Alderaan System

Minneko wondered how she managed to end up in situations like this. When she was little, it was the small stuff: pilfering sweets with Masako and Kister, hiding a shreek mouse under her bed until Bant found it and got a proper enclosure, that sort of thing.

She supposed, in a twisted way, that this was possibly more detrimental to Ren's psyche than anything else she could've done. For one thing, it was damned creepy. The way he talked to it, only proved her theory that he needed a good whack upside the head. Or some serious therapy. Anything at this point.

But, as she poked her head around a corner, this would send both Hux and Ren at each other's throats long enough that she could steal a ship and high-tail it out of here.

Hux's cat would recover, eventually. The poor thing had shrieked when she'd nicked her from Hux's quarters and plopped her where the helmet used to sit. Shoving the poor creature in a bag was probably a bit tramatizing. But the cat was the hardy sort, considering she'd just curled up and gone to sleep.

It was child's play, despite her ankle, how quickly she was able to get into the shuttle. In seconds, the tracking device had been forcibly removed and crushed. With a quick prayer, she started up the engine. She hated flying. Piloting was nerve-wracking at best, and nauseating at worst. The stim she'd injected herself with kept her from passing out.

"Okay," she muttered, hands flying across the console, trying to remember the points of interest Masako had pointed out when she'd insisted on teaching her less-than-inclined sister how to pilot a _Lambda_ -class shuttle. "Guns," she sighed, hearing the alarm blaring. "Please work, please work.-" she found the controls. "Okay, hyperspace…think, what did she say?"

Her eyes were pulled from the console as TIE Fighters began pursuit. "Son of a-okay…I can do this, I can do this. Mom was able to pilot a shuttle with two screaming toddlers. I can do this solo."

She brought the cannons online. "Point and shoot. Just like a blaster." She squeezed the trigger. "Ha!" The console beeped as more TIEs poured out of the hanger. She repeatedly pulled the trigger. She was a decent shot, but preferred analysis and distance coordination rather than being in the center of things. Pulling back under the ship, she hoped that the nav computer would spit out coordinates for the jump.

After what seemed like a long while, she input the coordinates.

"Okay, three, two, one-" She pulled the lever and sighed as hyperspace blurred the stars. Looking around, she saw an empty helmet. It would have to do, she supposed, stumbling over. When she got home, first thing she was going to do was slap Masako for insisting she go. Then, she would sleep.

As she crouched down in a corner of the cockpit, she supposed that she'd have to replace her lightsaber as well. Her old one…she eyed the satchel she'd managed to nick distastefully. No, just no. She wouldn't-couldn't-use it now. It seeped as much dark as the second item in the bag. Both would be destroyed, she swore, drifting off as the stim wore off and tiredness beckoned her once more.

-PAGEBREAK-

The HAB, Illum

Kister smiled as he hammered the cover back on the paint can. It had taken the better part of five years' work: tracking down the fighter, bringing it to Illum, putting it back together, and now, it was done.

"What do you think?" he asked R2-D2, who'd insisted on painting the details itself. "Just like it was?"

Artoo beeped an affirmative, wheeling around in a final inspection. The droid paused and whistled. "Well, go on." Kister lifted the cans and headed to the storage closet. "Check it out." Artoo inserted itself into the droid socket. Kister climbed into the cockpit and powered up. "Okay, now, try bringing the hyperdrive online."

R2 spit out an insult. "Of course it feels different, without all that rust stuck in there. All systems green. Hyperdrive looks good, as does life support. I'd say it's ready."

Artoo popped itself out and whistled a question. "After lunch. He's with the general now, going over logistics." Kister powered down and hopped out. "And no, I wouldn't appreciate you telling Threepio about this. This is meant to be a surprise."

Artoo beeped something less than conciliatory as they parted. Kister returned in kind, offering a salute.

"Are you cussing out droids now?" Masako appeared next to him. Kister jumped. "He started it."

Masako raised an eyebrow. "So, it went well?" Kister nodded, backpeaddling into the room. "All systems go. I think we can start modifications if the test run goes well." They studied the fighter. "What about life support?"

"Life support's looking good. Upgraded the systems so it's on par with the X-wings. The only glitch I think we have to worry about is finding out if the hyperdrive will short like it did last time."

"Last time we lost life support _and_ the hyperdrive. Using hyperspace rings is too risk sending these into combat. And we can't-"

"-Open the hangers to let the fighters out and in every time. I know. So, we send an X-wing and this on a short run. Bring along another ship as a backup in case they need to eject. If the test goes well-"

"-we've got something the Empire and First Order haven't had to deal with in a long time. _Sprite_ class is closer to TIEs than X-wings. Any ideas which squad should be sent out first?"

"Well, given what we've got to go on, for the test run, I say we send Poe Dameron and keep our guys in them until we can fix more up and train the Resistance pilots."

"So who's explaining this to the General?" Kister gave her a look. "Seriously?" Masako sighed. "Well, considering who this guy belonged to, then I guess it's ultimately up to her."

"And Minneko?" Masako looked up from where she was inspecting the exhaust port. "We can't do anything. She's smart. She'll get herself out and somewhere we can do a pickup. If she doesn't…" she stood up. "Then I'll torture Ren the same way he did her."

 **Okay, currently watching Episode VII on my tv at home, so my attention isn't fully here.**

 **That said, let's see Starkiller blow up….again.**

 **May the Force be with you.**

 **Sparky**


	16. Chapter 16

**Argh. Here's where I run out of prewritten chapters. Next update may or may not be next Friday depending on if I can get any writing done.**

Chapter 16

The _Finalizer,_ Alderaan System

General Hux was unimpressed to say the least. The Jedi girl was dead, and they had nothing to show for it other than a wild bantha chase.

Still, there was something…off. He shoved the feeling down. She was just another dead Resistance pilot. Another dead Jedi. She was nothing to him. Unless…

Then:

Mess Hall, Arkanis Academy

Arkaniss

Brendol Hux happened to look up from his meal. A batch of new recruits had arrived a few days ago. It was a habit, more than anything to guess: who would wash out, who was there because of familial placement, who might (emphasis on might) make it to graduation.

The cadet sitting on the other side of the mess hall topped Hux' personal list of "Most Likely to Get Killed" at the moment: slight, slim, and eyes flickering around nervously, not conversing with anyone, the cadet looked almost like a spooked nerf. But what Hux could see was a keen intelligence in those eyes. The cadet was sizing up competition. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

Fortunately, Hux was proven wrong, as the cadet was immeaditly fast-tracked to the intelligence classes. Sitting next to the cadet, Hux sized him up: military rations had done nothing for the youth's slight frame, spikey-short hair looked as though the cadet had a hard time keeping it under control. Every so often, Hux felt the cadet's eyes, sizing him up. Chancing a glance while the teacher was distracted, Hux looked at the notes. It was a jumble of numbers and letters, half-finished doodles of various droids and random symbols littered the margins. Hux looked back at his carefully compiled notes. Nothing seemed to correspond.

The class ended, and the youth flashed Hux a sardonic smile before taking off, a piece of flimsi left on the desk.

Without thinking, Hux pocketed it.

Later, he pulled it out, careful that no one was watching.

It was a starbird. Not the opulent, pointed sweeping wings of the Rebellion-smoother, sleeker in design. Hux felt his insides grow cold.

He was a Jedi.

A note in a language Hux didn't recognize finished out the note. Hux folded the paper once more.

He'd show this to his father.

The youth didn't scream or fuss as the stormtroopers came for him. He simply smiled and stood. "So that's it then," he said, mockingly saluting the others. Hux didn't like the feeling the cadet was talking to him in particular.

Now:

The _Finalizer,_ Alderaan System

Kylo Ren stood in front of the viewport, conflicted. Getting the girl-Minneko, she'd said her name was-off the ship was hard enough. Bad enough he'd coereced her into giving him a lead-one that looked like a dead end.

She was on her way-somewhere, he didn't want to know, couldn't want to know. It was safer that way, for both of them, especially considering that he'd cared for her. But she'd stolen his grandfather's helmet. Leather squeaked as he clenched his fists.

It was old deformed, half-melted, hardly worth the fuss.

He wondered when Ben Solo had decided he wasn't dead. _You did right, Ben._ A voice he wasn't familiar with whispered in his ear. _Second-guessing yourself now, boy? Then maybe I shoulda done you in when I had the chance._ The second voice he'd heard said.

 _Don't say that Ferrus._ His grandfather had joined in. _You don't mean it._

 _He nearly killed my granddaughter, of course I mean it._

 _She stole my grandfather's helmet._ He thought angrily. When he next found her- _Finish that thought boy, and I'll show you the_ real _Dark Side of the Force, Jedi or no._

He supposed she could wait. After all, Hux was missing a cat.

-PAGEBREAK-

Unknown Location

When her grandfather had approached her about going after Luke Skywalker and bringing the Resistance to Illum, Minneko had been all to eager to hear the details.

Ferrus Olan was a Jedi, but he was well past the point where he could see much active duty that wasn't directing a battle from a command ship. Oh, he still joined in the patrols around the system with the defense corps, but for the most part, Ferrus Olan was ready to hand control over to the next generation.

Minneko and Masako knew that they ought to be upset about their grandfather not considering them leadership material, but both agreed that leaving the organization to someone with more experience was perhaps the wisest course of action. Luke Skywalker had seen the Dark Side, had confronted it more times than they could count, and so they could respect his decision.

For years, there had been arguments: should they insist the Jedi Order be rebuilt as it had stood in the Old Republic, forsaking all attachments and taking infants from their families? Or should they do what the High Council had been reluctant to do and change with the times; allow the Force to dictate the traditions as it had for generations before? Or should they insist that Skywalker follow the old traditions, the ancient ways that had brought about their downfall?

For now, as she stumbled along, a metal pole helping her along with her bad ankle, it didn't matter. What mattered were the three basic principles that had been driven into her since before she could remember: family, loyalty and honor. Family first, because without your family (and by extension, your clan) you were nothing. Loyalty bound people together in the complex relationships that they interwove in their interactions that they would be honest in dealing with each other. And without that honesty, there was no honor, and without honor, no family or loyalty could exist.

The planet she'd chosen was hot, dry, and she'd be damned if she didn't make it to a public com station to contact someone. Of course, her definition of "hot" was rather warped compared to most peoples' as "hot" meant "anything above freezing." She supposed growing up on an ice planet that couldn't support even hardy pine trees could count as a messed up childhood, but it could've been worse: Hoth, with it's endless snow that wasn't even a proper ice planet, Jakku, with it's hot, dry air, and Dagobah, with it's humid, tropical climate came to mind.

Considering the complete lack of water, she supposed she hit the jackpot in crappy childhoods. Home to Anakin and Luke Skywalker, major exports being Jedi and starfighter pilots: she'd managed to land on Tatooine. She'd managed to land the ship in a spaceport, sold it to a trader for far less than what it was worth, but enough to give her a bit so she wouldn't starve.

Reaching a com station she shoved her credits in the slot and dialed the number. Hesitation would only hurt her at this point. "Hey guys, I'm still alive. Details later. Going to be building plenty of sandmen here, so I'll watch out for the Blue Ghost. Olan out." She ended the call, knowing she'd have to trade some of the bits in her bag if she wanted to make it to her designated rendezvous point.

While she was here, she might as well revisit the old haunts of heroes of the past.

 **So, have you guessed where she is yet?  
** **The plan is to check in with Rey and Finn next chapter. Let's see if my muse will let it happen.**

 **May the Force be with you**

 **Sparky**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The HAB, Illum

"How many fighters have you got?" Leia asked as they congregated in a converted assembly hall.

"Twenty, give or take," Masako said, "Mostly refurbished Delta-Sixes."

"Delta-Sixes?" Poe asked, incredulous. "Those things were ancient in the Clone Wars-"

"Because they weren't hyperspace capable." Masako said. "Kister and I have updated a few so they don't need a hyperspace ring."

"How have you done that?" Masako shrugged. "Well we had to update life support systems, and the scrap from the hyperspace rings helped us do that."

"Have they been tested?" Masako and Kister exchanged a glance.

Leia glared at the pair as they led her to Kister's work hangar. "Refitting these things took a long time." Masako said, "And it's not like Granddad was any help-"

" 'If it was good enough for Skywalker, it's good enough for me,'" Kister recited along with her. "How often did he say that?"

Masako shrugged. "Just about every time I mentioned this to him." She keyed in the access code. "So, I tracked this serial number from the Temple archives on Coruscant." The lights flickered on. "And it's Red Five."

"Red Five?" Luke Skywalker asked circling the fighter as R2 rolled along the opposite side.

"The _original_ Red Five," Kister said, crossing his arms as Artoo slid into the droid socket.

"Anakin Skywalker."

-PAGEBREAK-

Rey grumbled as yet _another_ bolt came loose. How the _Falcon_ was still space worthy was beyond her: after sitting in Niima Outpost for who knows how many years, her and Finn's escape through the empty hull of a Star Destroyer, and subsequent near-canibalization by a Rathtar, it was luck holding the ship together. She sorted through the box for another screw. The converter was still in working order-a lucky break, considering its age. But it wouldn't hold together if she couldn't screw it in place. Bonding tape would only do so much to hold it in hyperspace.

She pulled her goggles back in place and started fusing the converter into its slot. There were many junk parts-worth a fortune on Jakku-lying around the hangars and storage rooms. She and Chewie had been able to fix most everything, but a ship this age-she shook her head-it was a miracle the air filters didn't collapse.

The converter firmly fixed into place, Rey walked over to the edge of the _Falcon._

There had been no planning to rescue Minneko. Instead, resources were being diverted to refurbish old fighters. Top security personnel had been working on the fighters since a secret flight test and pilots were wondering what was so secret about the project. Rey slid down a rope she had hung for that particular purpose.

She knew the risk Finn had taken to rescue her from Starkiller. There was no such luck for Minneko.

She stowed the toolbox and headed for the cockpit. Patrols had deemed the area safe-for now.

The comm projector blinked with an incoming message. Automatically, she hit the accept button. The satellite interference made it hard-clearly the signal had been scrambled or came from a system where the user had a system meant for local calls only.

 _"Hey…Still alive…going…sandman….Watch out…blue ghost…Don't…stu..pid. Olann out."_

Rey jumped at the voice. "Minneko?" she asked, hoping the signal wouldn't cut out. No such luck. Then it hit her. Wherever she was, she was alive. And apparently, she had escaped.

With a whoop, she dashed out and headed to the communications center.

-PAGEBREAK-

Anchorhead, Tatooine

Minneko shuffled into the cool depths of the Tosche Station. Okay, so she'd miscalculated in thinking she'd landed in Mos Espa, but Mos Eisley was far from better. Too many spacers and desert dweller; too easy to get lost in the shuffle. While it was good enough if the First Order came knocking, it would make her job of _getting the hell out_ too hard. Anchorhead was somewhat neutral territory: not as crowded as the main settlements, but close enough to Tusken Raider territory that it deterred all but the sternest stuff Tatooine had to offer.

It helped a couple of the moisture farmers had once been sympathetic to the Rebellion, one even having served in Rogue Squadron. Having second choices was something you learned early on, growing up on Illum: Two was one and one was none. Two pieces of flint gave you a better chance of having a good fire overnight while one made your chances worse: flint was too easily lost slipping and sliding on the icy patches.

Since it was the only place that offered much by way of diversion in Anchorhead, the junk shop doubled as a cantina with a bar and group of tables shoved in one half of the building. Game tables, mostly for the underage crowd (if such a thing existed on Tatooine) were situated throughout. "Can I help you?" Shaken from her thoughts, Minneko pulled out the individual components to her lightsaber. The crystal she'd kept wrapped in a scrap of cloth, hesitant to touch it. "How much?"

The man behind the counter examined the components with an experienced eye. "Not as much as you're hoping for, I'm sure." He said, picking them up.

"Whatever it is, I'll take it. No questions." The resignation in her voice sparked something in him as he eyed her carefully.

Setting the focusing disc down, the man reached into a small pouch on his belt. "Sixteen."

"Done." Minneko kept the credits on the counter. A walk from here to her destination would probably take a day and a half, assuming she didn't rest often. She calculated quickly. Skipping a meal or two wouldn't hurt her at this point. It was the heat of the day and chill of the night that would do her in, if anything. The limited medical supplies she'd gotten from Mos Eisley would be fine, assuming she didn't run into any Tuskens. "How much for three containers of water?"

While not as mechanically inclined as Kister or her sister, she could probably toggle a couple of vaporators into working again, enough to keep her from heat exhaustion until Masako got her message. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Anything else?" he asked, gruffly grabbing the canteens from a locked cabinet behind the counter. "Er…" Minneko considered her options. She still had a bit more from selling the shuttle…Screw it, it wasn't like she'd make this a regular thing. She pulled out the rest. "Two blankets, and twelve ration packs." The man began pulling the supplies out of more cabinets.

"And…could I leave a message?" The hesitancy in her voice sounded pathetic so bad she internally winced.

"What kind of message?" The man fixed her with a look. "Just…someone might come looking for me."

"What kind of someone?"

"Not quite sure, actually." Minneko studied the sturdy canister intently. "Just, if they do ask, tell them that I'll meet them where he ran from."

"I'm sure there's a story behind that I'm missing, but I'll give them your message."

Minneko thanked the man and packed her supplies.

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The HAB, Illum

"Tatooine." Masako said, already having turned her attention back to the datapad in front of her.

"How'd you get Tatooine from that?" Rey asked, surprised. "Blue ghost. Legend on Tatooine-if you're caught out after dark, a blue ghost will show up and kill you. Course, that's a load of shit. Granddad reckoned it was Anakin Skywalker who killed a whole clan of Tuskens, had a blue lightsaber. Ergo, blue ghost."

"How do you do that?" Finn asked. "How does she do that?" That question was directed to Kister who only shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, that and she didn't code the signal properly." Masako said, bringing up a hologram of the galaxy. "Shoddy countermeasures, only bounced off of three satellites, which all lead back to…"

"Tatooine." Finn said. "So, when are we going?"

"Not any time soon." The door hissed open and General Organa walked in. "How do we know it's not a trap?"

"We don't." Masako said. "That's half the fun." Kister looked at her like she'd suddenly grown an extra head.

"And she used codes only someone from here would know." Masako added at the general's withering glance.

"Load up the _Falcon._ " Leia said. "You're going to Tatooine."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Near Anchorhead, Tatooine

Minneko had studied various worlds: Coruscant, Naboo, Jakku, and Hoth among others. But learning about different ecosystems and environments when your entire world was composed up of ice, was entirely different from being there.

She had decided two things upon finding the old moisture farm. First, that the heat was hot, bothering and was possibly the reason the Sith were always in a temper. Second, was that sand mites were the root of all evil in the galaxy. How they survived on a planet with no moisture was beyond her. One of the rusted vaporators was up and running, giving her some relief-her water was running too low already and she hadn't been here for a full day.

She crawled into what must have been a garage at one point. Clearing the sand had taken most of her energy for the day. She could finish setting up camp in the morning. She had a vague idea of where she was and hoped that someone had let her message come through. Shaking her blankets out, she hoped the garage would supply some insulation. Hot and dry, heat exhaustion was a concern during the day. But at night, without its twin sons, Tatooine could be as cold as Illum during Devastating Winter.

"You're not coming out," she muttered to the helmet that even now seemed to fix its evil gaze on her. "I'll bury you tomorrow. I promise. Just don't kill me in my sleep."

Despite her misgivings, she placed the bag next to her. "Sleeping next to Darth Vader's helmet. Somewhere out there, Granddad is either crying with laughter or slugging Anakin Skywalker." She rolled onto her back, carefully making sure she didn't slam her ankle on the hard ground. "Grandmom's wondering why I didn't just light it up with explosives."

She set her hands behind her head. "I guess it's all relative. I mean, the Captain probably would've used it as target practice before it was riddled with holes." Minneko grimaced. "I'm on Tatooine, and I'm talking to a helmet." Yawning, she closed her eyes. "Too bad I can't salvage this as an archeological dig."

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The HAB, Illum

Poe blinked.

Nope, the image in front of him was the same as it was when he entered the room.

"She's been like this for hours," Finn said from next to him.

"What is she on?" Poe asked.

"She had an espresso an hour ago. Oh, and a cookie." The tray Kister had brought was still where he had left it. Kister had settled at a table and was using his datapad as a pillow.

Masako conversely was wide-awake, pupils dilated and intently arguing with someone on her comm while she flicked through star maps.

Having seen Poe, she held up a finger. "…well if you can't give me an exact location, then what the frack are we paying you for, if not for information." A pause and Masako sighed. "Well, call back if you find anything." Throwing the headset onto the workstation, she looked as though she wished the entire thing would burst into flames.

"Any luck?" Poe asked.

Masako sighed. "Well there's a lead on some of the parts we're looking for to help the shielding on the Deltas, but next to nothing on Minneko. Just a message from a guy named Matt."

"Matt?" Finn asked. Masako shrugged, going over to the eyewash sink. "A radar tech. Very sympathetic, kind of frumpy looking, but he gets the job done. Apparently he was the one to get her off the _Finalizer."_

"A radar technician?" Finn said. "You're talking to a First Order radar technician?"

"Beggars can't be choosers." Masako said, taking a now-full pail over to where Kister was sleeping. She dumped it on his head.

"Wha-" Kister started, jerking backward and landing upside down.

"Morning, dumbass."

"When's qualifying?" he asked, righting himself.

"Two hours. We'd better gear up." Masako shut the terminal off. "What's qualifying?" Poe asked as Kister stretched.

"Qualifying for the field. What the New Republic doesn't have something like that?" Masako had sunk into a split making Finn wince. How flexible was she that the position wasn't insanely uncomfortable?

"Not that I know of. What exactly happens?" Masako turned so that her left leg was sticking in front of her. "Basically running an outside obstacle course, in the dark. No winter gear."

"Dodging blasterfire, climbing walls, sprints, that sort of thing," Kister elaborated, settling back into his chair. "If you pass the first round you go into a hacking sim. Top three qualify."

"And how many usually start out?" Finn asked, bringing up past records on the datapad Kister passed him. "Usually bout twenty, give or take. Mostly, it's to see how well you handle under a Force inhibitor."

"Well, this one's gonna suck. Once the top three qualify, there's less than an hour for the inhibitor to wear off and for us to go into orbit." Masako had brought up the details. "Though I understand why."

"They've triangulated the signal?" Poe asked. "So which pilots-"

"Just whoever wins and whoever's judged capable enough to tag along." Masako said. "Course we're headed into an area where we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Where is that?"

"Lothal. One of grandmom's contacts has a pickup for us. Maybe to Tatooine if we can squeeze in enough time." Masako stood up. "See you later," she exited, taking the datapad with her.

"What's that all about?" Finn asked.

"She's a Tesles. You learn not to ask and trust she knows what she's doing." Kister replied.

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Outside Anchorhead, Tatooine

Minneko knelt before the headstones. There were three: a woman named Shmi, a man named Cleigg and a couple's grave marked Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen.

Now, there was a fourth. She kowtowed, breathing shallowly to avoid inhaling sand. Sitting back on her heels, she spoke. "I don't know what to say," she said, speaking to the stones. "We never knew each other, in this life, at least, so all I can say is you're not forgotten. People have already forgotten your names, but I know names have power. They tell people who we are, where we come from," she gave a small smile. "What we've done, even if we'd rather forget." The sun was beginning to come over the horizon.

"I know I'm not your nephew or your son or grandson, but I know he hasn't forgotten at least. Family is usually the last to forget after all. Just, if you find my mom, tell her…I don't blame her. I probably would've been the same way, at some point. She did the best she could, but…sometimes it's just too much. I hope she's found peace, at least. Thank you," she kowtowed again, hoping at least, their spirits wouldn't accost her while she was here.

She got to her feet and hobbled inside, leaning on the shovel for support. Her ankle was feeling better, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Midmorning found her cursing at one of the smaller vaporators. Machinery had always been Masako's forte, while she explored more scientific approaches. While Masako had practically lived in the hangars, Minneko had found her calling in the library and healing wing.

"Work, you stupid thing," she cursed, trying to get a feel for the sand-rusted wires. "Shavit-" she withdrew her hand, wincing as she saw blood. "Kriffin' hell." She wrapped it and stood. Well, there were two working vaporators. Still, water was infinitely valuable-here at least.

Minneko fumbled for a clean bandage, wrapping her hand. While she contemplated her next move, she studied the weapon in front of her. The kyber crystal had been buried alongside the ashes of the helmet.

 _To disappear or not disappear, that is the question._ Minneko had lived practically her whole life on Illum, except for the first few half-remembered years.

She typed in a com code. The unit had been easy to fix, at least.

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Resistance Headquarters, The HAB, Illum

Leia had spent sleepless nights during the Rebellion cursing Vader (her father, her mind whispered), the Empire, and Han Solo. Not always at once, not always in that order.

So, with the Resistance still setting up their personnel on Illum, Leia found herself drawn to the communications center.

It was late in the night cycle-dawns on Illum came only an average of nineteen days in "good" weather-so not many people were awake. In two hours, the Sybereans (under her brother's direction) would be holding what they called "qualifying"-a test to ensure only the best individuals would go on a mission. Leia understood their reasoning: unpredictability in battle was often the Rebellion's greatest weapon against the Empire.

So when one of the units cackled to life, she was quite understandably, surprised.

"Hello? Does anyone read me? This is Minneko Olan, code clearance one-sixteen-twenty-four-nine."

Leia dropped into the chair before and saw Minneko-looking far more tired than she felt. "Minneko?"

"General Organa?" Minneko sounded surprised. "Where's my sister?"

"Asleep." Minneko looked abashed. "Sorry, forgot the time difference. How…how's she holding up?"

"I think the better question is how are you holding up?"

"All right, I guess. Just not as eager to get home as I thought I was. I'm on Tatooine right now-"

"Are you sure the connection is secure?" Leia cut her off. She didn't want the Resistance found out so quickly. Not only did her pilots' lives rely on it, but also the over two thousand Sybereans who lived in the HAB.

"Bounced off an old Imp transmitter in the Outer Rim. Not sure which one, but the signal will read from there. Anyway, I'm okay. I err…got a contact in the First Order."

"What kind of contact?" Leia asked. Excepting Finn, the First Order seemed to be made up of two groups: stormtroopers who knew nothing else and people with egos that rivaled Palaptine's. "A radar tech. Code name Matt. Helped me out, and err…I kindastoleyourfather'shelmet."

"What?" Leia wasn't sure she had heard that correctly. "I kind of stole Darth Vader's helmet. From Kylo Ren. No idea where he got it, but…anyway, I took care of it. It won't be coming back anymore."

"I don't suppose you're forthcoming about how you took care of it?"

"Well, the Captain joked once that he wanted to shoot it full of holes…I kind of built on that."

That certainly sounded like something Han would talk about doing. "Anyway, err…I know Masako's probably worried about me, so just tell her that I'm coming back, I just need some time."

"Will you keep in contact?" Minneko nodded. "Promise. It'll be spotty, but whenever I can, I'll send a message at least. Just…tell her call off qualifying. I know she's probably already jumped on it, and I'd really rather not have to explain to her why I can't come home now."

"Why can't you come home?" Minneko shrugged again. "I need to build a new lightsaber. The crystal of mine…it feels strange, corrupt. I can't use it and not feel like I'd be turning to the Dark Side. I know where I'm going, but, I don't want to have the pressure to succeed on top of, well, everything."

Minneko glanced back at something on her end. "I'd better go. May the Force be with you, General."

"May the Force be with you, Minneko. Come home soon." Leia ended the call.


	19. Chapter 19

Epilogue

The Force works in mysterious ways. It shapes, it changes, it bends and pushes back.

Standing alone, faced with the first sunrise in nineteen days, a lone figure watched the rainbows appear. Close-cropped hair was pulled by the wind in first one direction than another. It was bitterly cold, but the Force was warm and it was this warmth she pulled in.

A lantern floated towards the sky. A message, never to be seen again, rose higher and higher before it vanished from sight.

Only then did the figure turn and walk away.

On Tatooine, another figure bowed to the light of the twin suns. There was no breeze, no respite from the growing heat. The Force was cool, and to this cold, she clung, skin puckering from an unfelt breeze.

No one came out here, not anymore. No one would dare to think that it had been occupied. The figure knelt facing four stones before prostrating itself. No lanterns graced the sky this morning.

Duty done, the figure stood, heading back inside. The Force would be her guide, and only when the Force willed would she go back home.

In space, a figure stood overlooking the stars of the Alderaan system. They still shone, as though their mother planet had never vanished. The rabbit crouched, ready to flee while the dragon turned its teeth and sharpened its claws.

The figure felt the Force calm, peaceful, whispering against the dark. Unbeknownst to the others on the bridge, a light began to grow. The darkness hissed and the rabbit twitched nervously. The dragon roared, reveling in its fight song.

The Force laughed, soothing the rabbit and admonishing the dragon.

Two figures stood, one on either side of the dark figure, one put his hand on the figure's shoulder. _You did good, Ben. Much better than I would've done._

 _You will find your way home._ The other whispered. _This is just the start._


End file.
